Uganda’s National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) has called on telecom operators and internet service providers to take a more active role in combating illegal online gambling.
The current system is largely reactive. The regulator identifies an illegal gambling platform, after which the Uganda Communications Commission directs telecom companies to block access. NLGRB says that approach is no longer sufficient as more gambling activity moves online.
What NLGRB wants from telecom operators
NLGRB CEO Denis Mudene Ngabirano called on telecom companies to become “Responsible Gaming Ambassadors” and outlined three priorities:
- monitoring internet traffic linked to betting platforms
- quickly flagging suspicious or illegal activity
- educating consumers about the risks of unlicensed gambling
The regulator also highlighted gambling access through workplace networks, where employee access to betting platforms may go unchecked.
Uganda is tightening online gambling oversight
The initiative is part of a wider NLGRB push to strengthen enforcement and compliance across Uganda’s gambling market.
The regulator continues to tighten licensing, responsible gambling and compliance oversight in 2026, while maintaining an official list of licensed operators.
NLGRB has also stepped up enforcement against illegal land-based gambling. In one operation in May, the regulator seized 169 illegal gaming machines.
The latest initiative signals a shift from simply blocking illegal websites towards more continuous monitoring of online infrastructure and closer cooperation between the gambling regulator and telecom sector.
Source: National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board
