Uganda regulator destroys 6,749 illegal gaming machines and blocks 23 websites

Uganda's National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) announced that it has destroyed 6,749 gaming machines worth Shs6.21bn. The regulator added that it partnered with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to block 23 websites tied to unlicensed gaming operators. Of 10,020 illegal gaming machines confiscated over the past five years, the 6,749 were later destroyed under court orders, according to the NLGRB.

Illegal operators were also taken to court by the regulator. In the three years to June 2026, prosecutions covered 24 illegal operators, importers and gaming machine suppliers. Convictions were secured in twenty-one of the cases, and three are still before the courts.

Weekend Vision was told by Jackline Kamakune, a senior communications officer, that Ugandan nationals made up 19 of the prosecuted individuals while Chinese nationals accounted for five. She further stated that during the 2025/26 financial year the regulator logged 125 consumer complaints valued at Shs2.66bn. Claims worth Shs2.57bn were covered by 112 resolved cases, she added.

Online channels now account for an estimated 93% of gambling activity in Uganda, the NLGRB has said previously, with just 7% going through physical outlets. The latest enforcement actions follow calls from Parliament in August for stronger action against illegal gambling operators, including unlicensed gaming machines, lotteries and online gambling platforms, particularly in rural areas where illegal operations were said to be spreading.

Targeted operations have been conducted by the regulator in the period since. A joint exercise between the NLGRB and police in the Greater Katonga region last month led to 123 illegal gaming machines being seized. In Amuru, Amolatar and Dokolo, further raids saw another 36 machines taken.

With gambling increasingly moving online, the board wants telecommunications companies to cooperate more closely. Denis Mudene Ngabirano, the chief executive, has said telecom firms could do more than block access to illegal websites, arguing they are also able to encourage responsible gaming among consumers. At a stakeholder meeting held at Mestil in August, he listed regulatory compliance, anti-money laundering controls and responsible gambling measures among the priorities for Uganda's gaming sector.