The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board Uganda (NLGRB) is a body corporate established under the Lotteries and Gaming Act No. 7 of 2016 which came into effect on 8th April 2016.
The Act is supported by a set of 5 Regulations which came into effect on 27th May 2016. The law mandates the Board to licence and regulate the operations of lotteries, casinos and betting houses (Industry).
Gaming operations have been in existence in Uganda for over 50 years with lottery being the main gaming activity carried out in the 1960’s when the first gaming laws were drafted.
The gaming industry was regulated by the National Lotteries Board (NLB) and guided by the National Lotteries Act of 1967, the Gaming and Pool Betting (Control and Taxation) Act of 1968, and an addendum of statutory guidelines introduced in 2012/13. However, due to the expansion of the gaming industry, with new games being introduced over time, and in light of technological advancements, many facets of the law relating to lottery and gaming became outdated.
In line with Section 2 of the Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Act, 2016 gaming means the playing of a game of chance for winnings in money or money’s worth.
There are 6 different forms of gaming in Uganda and these are;
- Lottery
- Casino
- Slot machines
- General betting (Sports betting)
- Bingo
- Pool betting
