Uganda gambling industry has become one of the country’s most visible digital-economy success stories, generating record revenue for the government as online betting, mobile money, and football fandom increasingly intersect to create a rapidly expanding market. According to the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB), tax collections from betting, gaming, lotteries, casinos, and related activities reached Shs568 billion by March of the 2025/26 financial year.
The figure highlights the sector’s growing importance at a time when it barely registered as a major contributor to public finances a decade ago. The collections also represent a dramatic rise from Shs18.5 billion in the 2019/20 financial year—an increase of nearly 3,000% over six years. Much of this growth is linked to the sector’s shift from mostly physical, venue-based operations to a digitally enabled market that reaches consumers across the country through smartphones and mobile payment platforms.
These latest figures were presented by Denis Mudene Ngabirano, chief executive officer of the NLGRB, during a media roundtable in Kampala. He outlined both the industry’s expansion and the new challenges emerging alongside it. The rise of gaming in Uganda reflects broader changes in the economy. Increased internet access, widespread smartphone use, and the near-universal presence of mobile money have transformed how people consume entertainment services.
Betting—once concentrated mostly in physical outlets in urban areas—is now available to millions of Ugandans through mobile apps and online platforms. “
The online shift has fundamentally changed the gaming landscape,” Mudene said. “Technology has expanded access to gaming services across the country, but it has also increased the complexity of oversight. Our responsibility is to ensure that growth happens within a transparent, accountable, and safe environment.”
Uganda’s gaming industry has existed for more than six decades, but its most significant transformation has happened in the last ten years. Today, the regulator says about 93% of all gaming activity takes place online. This shift also aligns with changing consumer behavior among a younger, more connected population. Betting can be done from nearly anywhere, reducing dependence on traditional gaming premises.
One bettor, Joseph Bashir, told The Independent that he now places bets from his office rather than visiting betting venues. He said he avoids staking money he cannot afford to lose. Football remains the dominant force behind the industry’s growth.
The popularity of major European leagues has created a commercial ecosystem linking sports viewing with betting activity. Weekend fixtures involving clubs in England, Spain, Germany, and Italy generate substantial wagering volumes, reinforcing the industry’s overall momentum.
The sector’s growth has coincided with important regulatory reforms. Gaming oversight was integrated into the Ministry of Finance’s tax policy framework during the 2015/16 financial year and later strengthened under the Lotteries and Gaming Act Cap 334. These reforms aimed to formalize the industry and improve compliance.
As a result, the regulator’s role has grown substantially. Beyond licensing operators, the NLGRB also supports tax collection, certifies equipment, approves premises, resolves disputes, runs public education, enforces consumer protection, and monitors compliance.
“The growth in revenue demonstrates that regulation and industry development are not mutually exclusive,” Mudene observed. “When operators work within clear rules and consumers have confidence in the system, the sector becomes more sustainable and contributes more meaningfully to national development.”
However, the rapid expansion has also strained the regulatory framework. The Board acknowledges it is stretched relative to the scale and sophistication of the market it oversees.
“As the sector grows, regulatory capacity must grow with it. Effective supervision requires investment in technology, personnel, enforcement, and public education,” Mudene said.
A major priority remains tackling illegal gaming operations, which continue to weaken legitimate businesses and reduce government tax revenue. Recent enforcement demonstrates the scale of the problem. The regulator reported confiscating 7,797 pieces of illegal gaming equipment—including slot machines, fish tables, and other devices—estimated at Shs8.77 billion. Of these, 6,867 machines, valued at approximately Shs6.21 billion, have already been destroyed.
The regulator also reported prosecuting 24 criminal cases related to illegal gaming. The accused include 19 Ugandan nationals and five Chinese nationals. Twenty-one cases have resulted in convictions, while three remain before the courts. Mudene described illegal operators as one of the industry’s most persistent problems, saying they undermine legitimate operators, deprive government of revenue, and expose consumers to unfair and potentially exploitative gaming environments.
Digitalization has complicated enforcement. Cross-border advertising, international payment systems, and the ease with which gaming equipment can be moved across jurisdictions make it harder for national regulators to keep up.
“We need stronger regional cooperation and targeted legislative improvements to close loopholes that illegal operators exploit,” Mudene said. “Enforcement cannot stop at our borders because the digital environment itself has no borders.”
Alongside enforcement, Uganda has invested in technical standards intended to improve transparency and integrity across gaming systems. These standards cover a wide range of technologies, including online monitoring systems, electronic raffle platforms, gaming kiosks, progressive jackpot devices, card shufflers, electronic table games, scratch ticket systems, and change-management controls.
The goal, according to the regulator, is to ensure that approved systems operate according to internationally recognized standards and give consumers confidence in outcomes.
Our goal is not simply to remove illegal equipment,” Mudene explained. “Our goal is to ensure that every approved gaming system operating in Uganda meets internationally recognized standards of security, transparency, and fairness.
Beyond taxation and compliance, the social consequences of gambling are increasingly influencing regulatory priorities. A 2023 study commissioned by the Board on the socioeconomic and health effects of gambling found that 99% of problem gamblers were male and 58% were young people. The findings raised concerns that the fastest-growing group of gamblers may also be among the most vulnerable.
These results prompted renewed efforts to strengthen public-awareness campaigns and consumer protection.
Responsible gaming is not an anti-gambling campaign—it is a public health safeguard embedded in our regulatory DNA,” Mudene said. “Our duty is to ensure that people who choose to participate in gaming do so with the information, protections, and support systems necessary to avoid harm.
The NLGRB has responded by expanding outreach through schools, community leaders, media platforms, and stakeholder training. It has also established regional offices in Gulu, Mbale, and Mbarara to decentralize services and improve access to enforcement and support mechanisms. Additional offices are planned. The regulator also offers well-being-focused confidential counselling and rehabilitation support for individuals affected by gambling-related challenges.
For regulators, long-term success will increasingly be measured by more than revenue growth. Maintaining public trust, protecting vulnerable groups, and ensuring market integrity are becoming equally important goals.
A successful gaming industry is one that balances commercial growth with social responsibility, Mudene said. “Revenue matters, but public trust matters even more.
Uganda is also working to strengthen its influence within Africa’s broader gaming governance environment. Through engagement with groups such as the Gaming Regulators Africa Forum (GRAF), SiGMA World, and the Association of African Regulators, authorities aim to exchange expertise and align with emerging international standards.
The ambition is to help position Uganda as a regional model for gaming governance while supporting continued industry growth. Whether that balance can be sustained remains uncertain. Illegal operators continue to evolve, technology is advancing faster than regulation, and concerns about gambling addiction persist.
Still, the industry’s trajectory is clear. What was once a niche entertainment sector has become a significant contributor to government revenue and a notable feature of Uganda’s digital economy. “
As gaming revenues reach record levels and enforcement actions intensify, we are determined to ensure that the industry’s future is defined not merely by the size of the jackpot, but by the credibility of the system behind it,” Mudene said.
