Police rescinds order to close betting companies over licences

Police have rescinded their order closing two betting

companies over operating without licences,the Nile Post has learnt.

Last week, police closed Home Bet and Game Bet betting companies for operating

without licences.

“Without a

license, a company commits an offence and is liable on conviction to forty

eight currency points or imprisonment not exceeding two years,” Deputy police

spokesperson said in a statement and later directed Regional and District

Police Commanders to locate the betting and gaming company branches and outlets

  in their areas of jurisdiction and close them.

However, a letter

dated December 15 by Joseph Obwona, the deputy director crime Investigation at

CID in Kibuli indicates that operations to close the two betting companies have

been halted pending further notice.

“Following the

enforcement of the laws on the above companies , a complaint was raised about

the conduct of the enforcement and in a meeting held this morning in the office

of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, it was decided that we halt the

operation against Home Bet and Game Bet for the time being,” reads in part the

letter by Obwona  to all regional and

divisional  CID officers and copied to

the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Executive Officer of the Lottery and

Gaming Regulatory Board, RPCs and DPCs.

“The purpose of

this communication is therefore to direct you to halt the enforcement and

permit them to operate until ordered otherwise.”

The Nile Post

has learnt that the order to rescind the order for closure stemmed from complaints

by the two companies over the manner in which they were being closed despite

operating for a long time.

In January, two

betting companies, Game Concepts Ltd and

Home Bet Ltd sued government and the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory

Board accusing them of imposing a high minimum initial capital of Shs250m for

any company to join the business.

The companies said in their  petition before the Constitutional Court  that Section 39 of the Lotteries and Gaming

Act, 2016 imposes minimum initial exorbitant fees of Shs250m adding that it  is intended to discriminate ordinary citizens

from joining the gaming and betting business.

The betting companies in their

petition noted that Section 67 of the Lotteries and Gaming Act, which makes it

an offence to provide facilities for gaming and betting without a licence

contravenes Article 40 (2) of the Constitution which guarantees the right to

all persons to participate in a lawful business.

The case has never been disposed of

and this could have been the reason for rescinding the police order in regard

closure of the two betting companies.

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