Police seize over 400 illegal betting machines in nationwide crackdown
In the latest operation, 209 illegal gaming machines were seized from Busia, Tororo, Butebo, Pallisa, Budaka, Kibuku and Ntungamo districts, with the regulator commending district police commanders for supporting efforts to dismantle illegal gaming operations.
The regulator said enforcement operations were continuing across the country, and thanked local leaders and community members whose information had helped security teams identify illegal gaming operators.
KAMPALA - Police, working with the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB), have confiscated more than 400 illegal gaming machines in enforcement operations conducted across several districts, as authorities intensify a nationwide crackdown on unlicensed gambling businesses.
In the latest operation, 209 illegal gaming machines were seized from Busia, Tororo, Butebo, Pallisa, Budaka, Kibuku and Ntungamo districts, with the regulator commending district police commanders for supporting efforts to dismantle illegal gaming operations.
The seizures follow another enforcement operation in October, during which more than 200 illegal gaming machines were confiscated in parts of Kampala Metropolitan Area, Isingiro, Kibuku, Pallisa and Lwengo districts.
The regulator said enforcement operations were continuing across the country, and thanked local leaders and community members whose information had helped security teams identify illegal gaming operators.
Jackline Kamakune, the board's senior communications officer, said the regulator had also partnered with Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to block 23 websites operated by unlicensed gaming companies.
"The measures are intended to curb unauthorised gambling, particularly as betting shifts from physical gaming shops to digital platforms that allow customers to place bets using smartphones," Kamakune said.
Over the past three years ending June 2026, she said the board has prosecuted 24 illegal operators, importers and suppliers of gaming machines.
"Twenty-one cases resulted in convictions, while three remained before the courts. A total of 19 suspects of those prosecuted were Ugandan nationals, while five were Chinese,” Kamakune said.
The regulator also received 125 consumer complaints involving sh2.66b during the 2025/26 financial year, resolving 112 complaints involving sh2.57b.
NLGRB chief executive officer Denis Mudene Ngabirano said gaming should be treated as entertainment rather than a source of livelihood.
However, Ngabirano acknowledged that some people, particularly young people facing limited economic opportunities, were increasingly turning to betting in the hope of making money.
"The board has intensified public awareness campaigns targeting students and other groups considered vulnerable to gambling-related harm. So far, a total of 50,026 students since last year (2025) to date have been sensitised across the country,” he said.
According to Ngabirano, the campaigns have also reached market vendors, boda-boda riders and corporate employees.
The regulator has directed gaming operators to introduce player-protection measures, including deposit, stake and time limits, as well as self-exclusion tools that allow customers to restrict or stop gambling.