The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB), mandated to supervise, license and regulate the gaming industry in Uganda, has stepped up efforts to rid the country of illegal betting and gaming operations. In a bold move, over 2,000 illegal gaming machines were destroyed at Luwero Industries in Nakasongola on June 18, 2025. This latest destruction brings the total number of confiscated and destroyed illegal gaming equipment to over 5,000.
The exercise, carried out in partnership with Luwero Industries under the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), a licensed e-waste handler demonstrates the Board’s commitment to enforcing the Lotteries and Gaming Act, Cap 334, and safeguarding Ugandans from the adverse effects of unregulated gambling.
Dennis Ngabirano Mudene, CEO of the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board, emphasised the Board’s primary mandate: “The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board is a body corporate established under the Lotteries and Gaming Act. Our core responsibilities include licensing and supervising the establishment and operation of lotteries, gaming, and betting. Most importantly, we are tasked with protecting the public from the negative impacts of gambling.”
One of the board’s critical functions is enforcing the law against illegal operators, as stipulated in Section 67 of the of the lotteries and gaming Act Cap 334. “Anyone running a casino, bingo, betting machine, or lottery without a license is committing an offense and can face fines or imprisonment,” Mr. Ngabirano noted. “As the Board, we have the legal mandate to take enforcement actions against such operators, including confiscation and destruction of unlicensed equipment.”
Mr. Ngabirano explained the process: “Our compliance team routinely conducts nationwide inspections to identify unlicensed operators. The information is then relayed to our enforcement team, which seizes illegal equipment. These machines are stored in a warehouse before we obtain a court order from the Standards and Utilities Court in Makindye for their destruction.”
Importantly, the Board has also prioritised oversight on gaming equipment importers, ensuring that only those legally licensed can distribute or operate such equipment in Uganda.
In response to public allegations that confiscated machines often re-enter the market, Mr. Ngabirano clarified: “That is entirely false. Once confiscated, the machines are registered and documented. We follow a court-supervised destruction process, and the destroyed machines are verified by Luwero Industries. However, we have had incidents of imposters conducting illegal enforcement operations in the name of the Board. Three such cases are currently in court.”
The Board strongly advises Ugandans to engage only with licensed operators. “Licensing protects the player,” said Mr. Ngabirano. “When a licensed operator fails to pay a winning gamer, we intervene. Operators are required to deposit a bank guarantee with us. If our investigation confirms the player was defrauded, we can use that guarantee to compensate them.”
He added, “This system not only protects individual players but also ensures tax compliance from the operators.”
The Board’s enforcement partner in the destruction exercise, Luwero Industries, plays a vital role in sustainable waste management. Mariam Kantinti, Waste Manager at Luwero Industries, elaborated on the disposal process.
“When we receive waste gaming equipment, we weigh and record it. The waste is then sorted by plastic, wood, metal, cables, and glass. The wood is reused in our wood boiler, the plastic is shredded and sent to recyclers, and the metal is melted and repurposed. Cables are incinerated, and the resulting ash is stabilised and placed in an engineered landfill,” she explained.
Ms. Kantinti warned about the environmental dangers of illegal dumping of such machines. “These machines contain plastics that can take over 1,000 years to biodegrade. If not handled properly, they contaminate soil, affect biodiversity, and disrupt ecosystems.”
As for the money often found in these machines, Mr. Ngabirano confirmed that every coin is accounted for. “During confiscation, our audit, legal, and enforcement teams jointly record and count the money. So far, UGX 11 million has been collected from illegal machines and deposited into the Consolidated Fund.”
To scale up these efforts, the Board is decentralising its operations. “We are setting up regional offices to systematically identify and eliminate illegal gaming activities in every part of Uganda,” Mr. Ngabirano said.
The Board’s call to action is simple but important: Gamble responsibly. Only bet what you can afford to lose. Gaming is a leisure activity not a source of income.
As Uganda strengthens the legal framework and tightens enforcement around gaming, the message is clear: illegal operations will not be tolerated, and citizen protection remains a top priority.
