Uganda Gaming board steps up crackdown as 6,749 illegal machines destroyed

KAMPALA — The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) has destroyed 6,749 illegal gaming machines valued at Shs6.21 billion and blocked websites run by unlicensed gaming companies, as it widens enforcement against illegal gambling.

The board said it had confiscated 10,020 illegal gaming machines over the past five years, of which 6,749 were destroyed under court orders, according to figures first reported by Weekend Vision.

Jackline Kamakune, the board’s senior communications officer, told the paper that the regulator had worked with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to block 23 websites operated by unlicensed gaming companies. In August, however, the NLGRB told legislators that it had seized 9,983 illegal gaming machines over the previous six years and blocked 57 illegal online gaming sites.

Under the blocking arrangement, the NLGRB identifies illegal betting sites, after which the UCC issues a directive for telecommunications and internet service providers to restrict access.

The shift online is central to the board’s enforcement push. The NLGRB has previously estimated that about 93 per cent of gaming activity in the country takes place online, compared with 7 per cent through physical outlets.

According to Kamakune, the board prosecuted 24 illegal operators, importers and suppliers of gaming machines in the three years to June 2026. Twenty-one cases ended in convictions, while three are still before the courts.

“A total of 19 of those prosecuted were Ugandan nationals and five were Chinese,” Kamakune said.

She said the regulator received 125 consumer complaints involving Shs2.66 billion in the 2025/26 financial year and resolved 112 of them, involving Shs2.57 billion.

The crackdown follows pressure from Parliament. In August, MPs directed the board to strengthen enforcement against unlicensed gaming machines, lotteries and online platforms, especially in rural communities. In September, the board confiscated 123 illegal gaming machines in the Greater Katonga region during a joint operation with police, and it later seized 36 machines in Amuru, Amolatar and Dokolo districts.

Denis Mudene Ngabirano, the NLGRB chief executive officer, said gaming should be treated as entertainment rather than a source of livelihood. He acknowledged, however, that some people, particularly young people with limited economic opportunities, were turning to betting in the hope of making money.

Ngabirano has also urged telecom companies to do more than block sites, saying they can become ambassadors for responsible gaming.

The board says it has stepped up awareness campaigns aimed at students and other groups it considers vulnerable to gambling-related harm. The regulator has also raised concern about young people accessing betting platforms through telephone lines registered in their parents’ names.

Mobile technology has made it possible to place bets from homes, workplaces and university hostels without visiting a betting shop. UCC figures cited by Weekend Vision put Uganda’s active mobile subscriptions at 47.5 million, with 18 million mobile internet users and 20.3 million smartphone users.