Muwado Joins OMPA and NLGRB to Tackle Gambling Harm

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KAMPALA – As the digital landscape in Uganda continues to evolve, Muwado recently participated in a collaboration conversation with the Online Media Publishers Association Uganda (OMPA-U) and the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB). This partnership plan was initiated at a stakeholder engagement on March 31, 2026 and aims to address the growing concern of gambling-related harm across the country.

Jackie Kamakune, from the communications team at the NLGRB, made a presentation outlining a strategic shift toward shared responsibility between regulators and relevant public and private stakeholders, including media owners, to protect the public.

The 93% Online Digital Shift

The urgency of this collaboration is driven by a massive behavioural shift in the gaming sector. According to data shared by the Board, 93% of all gaming in Uganda is now conducted online, 87% of Ugandans have placed bets, and 57% of youth actively engage in gambling. Clap for yourself if you are apparently in the minority who have never gambled. I imagine the trend is the same globally. This rapid growth is fueled by:

• Widespread use of mobile money for transactions.
• Increasingly affordable internet access across the country.
• The overwhelming popularity of sports betting, particularly football.

While the industry has become a significant economic contributor with total revenues growing from UGX 17.4 billion in 2015/16 to a projected UGX 323 billion for the 2024/25 financial year, the social costs are becoming harder to ignore. The government and those in the business might be making that paper, but this means there are more tears than ululations for the muntu wa wansi making the bets.

A core objective of the partnership plan is therefore to correct dangerous misconceptions. Many Ugandan youth have begun to view gambling as a “shortcut to wealth” because of the few success stories, forgetting that few of the majority will share about the losses. The NLGRB and OMPA-U collabo seeks to realign this mindset, emphasising that gaming should be viewed strictly as entertainment. 

The presentation highlighted several negative social impacts currently affecting the community:

• Addiction & Financial Strain: Individuals are spending essential savings and/or borrowing money to gamble.

• Mental Health: Rising cases of anxiety, depression, and stress linked to gambling losses. Remember those statistics of Ugandans with mental health, this is high among the reasons.

• Youth Vulnerability: High engagement levels among young people, leading to domestic conflicts and social breakdown.

• Underage Gaming: The persistent challenge of keeping those under the legal age of 25 away from betting platforms.

Enforcement and the Road Ahead

NLGRB has confiscated 7,797 pieces of illegal equipment (including slot machines and “fish tables”) worth an estimated UGX 8.7 billion since 2021. But that is just curtailing the worst of the industry. Like most activities of an addictive nature, it can’t be entirely banned, so enforcement has to be backed up by more.

As Adrine Otunga, NLGRB Manager Legal, explained, the Board recognises that “mindset change” while shaping and enhancing policies that support responsible gaming across all platforms is the only long-term solution. The new partnership plan focuses on Responsible Gaming programs that integrate public awareness, education, and research. By leveraging the reach of OMPA-U’s 31 member platforms, the regulator aims to:

1. Promote factual reporting on gaming matters to counter misinformation.

2. Launch co-branded awareness drives to reach the over 12 million Ugandans currently engaging with online media.

3. Strengthen community engagement through CSR and content partnerships.

By moving from a purely reactive enforcement model to a proactive, partnership-based approach, the NLGRB and its media partners hope to foster a regulated industry that contributes to the economy without sacrificing the well-being of Uganda’s youth. As a country, we might have gotten accustomed to living on the edge, but we can’t continue to monetise this nature in this manner if it could lead to societal collapse. 

We’ll do our part, and you can look out and contribute to related stories on the subject by subscribing to the category here.

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Muwado - Africa's Storytelling Platform

Muwado is an ambitious African social networking website on a mission to give a voice to and financially empower storytellers from especially developing nations.

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