Uganda’s NLGRB Set to Review and Rewrite the Country’s Gambling Laws.
The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) of Uganda is now working on changes to the country’s gaming law to match the fast move toward online betting.
NLGRB stated that most gambling now occurs on digital platforms, making the current rules outdated. Chief executive Denis Mudene Ngabirano explained that about 93% of gambling activity is online, while only 7% is retail. He pointed out that Covid 19 was the key impact to the digital shift. Thus making the need for regulation rules and abiding laws necessary in the sector.
The review is being done with guidance from the Solicitor General, the Ministry of Finance, and Parliament. He pointed out that the spread of mobile phones, internet access, and mobile money has sped up the change.
NLGRB strategy is to split licences between online and land‑based operators, replacing the current system where one license covers both. At present, 63 licensed companies run more than 2,000 premises and employ around 23,000 people, most of them Ugandan.
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NLRGB Report!
In Uganda the regulatory firm has been trying to clean the everyday raising issues in igaming. Officials reported 125 complaints in the past year involving about Shs2.66bn (€605,847). Enforcement teams also seized nearly 7,800 illegal gaming machines worth close to Shs8.77bn (€1.99m). Many of which had been smuggled into the country disguised as spare parts before being assembled locally. Equipment valued at Shs6.21bn (€1.4m) has already been destroyed. Ngabirano confirmed that stronger monitoring systems are being pushed to track machines and transactions.
NLRGB will focus on implementing: separate licensing for online and physical gaming, establishing digital monitoring systems, enforcing responsible gaming controls like self-exclusion, and eliminating credit betting.
