Government Targets Illegal Gambling with Tougher Penalties Under New Gaming Plan

What the report says

Nile Post reported that the Ugandan government plans to revise the country’s gaming laws to introduce heavier sanctions against illegal gambling operators. The proposed changes are part of the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board’s five-year Strategic Plan for 2025/26 to 2029/30, which was launched in Kampala on Monday together with a Client Charter and Service Delivery Standards.

According to the report, NLGRB Chief Executive Officer Denis Mudene Ngabirano said the Board wants amendments to the Lotteries and Gaming Act to better regulate online gaming and make penalties for illegal operators more deterrent. He cited prosecutions of 26 people linked to importing and distributing illegal gaming equipment, with 23 convictions that resulted in fines of about Shs900,000 each. Ngabirano said such penalties have not stopped repeat offences because illegal operators can still profit after paying fines.

Finance Minister Henry Musasizi, who launched the plan, said the strategy focuses on strengthening regulation, promoting responsible gaming, using technology to improve oversight, and improving governance and partnerships. The new service standards are intended to set clearer timelines for licensing, inspections, product approvals and complaints handling.

Nile Post reported that the regulator says the gaming sector generated Shs368 billion in tax and non-tax revenue in the last financial year, employs about 24,000 Ugandans, and includes roughly 2,700 licensed outlets. The Board also warned that gambling should be treated as entertainment, not income, and said it is working with public agencies on campaigns against underage and harmful betting.