A major technical failure at sports betting firm BetPawa on Thursday morning saw some Ugandan punters receive unexpected cash deposits while withdrawals were temporarily suspended, in what industry sources estimate could have cost the company billions of shillings.
Thousands of bettors were locked out of their accounts at about 10am after the platform abruptly went into “Maintenance Mode,” following what the company later described as a technical issue involving incorrect betslip settlements.
“Maintenance Underway! We are currently resolving a technical issue regarding incorrect betslip settlements. No, we haven't been attacked, we just need a moment to fix a glitch so we've had to go into Maintenance Mode. All operations will resume shortly,” BetPawa Uganda posted on X.
Users attempting to access the site were met with a message saying: “We're making Betpawa even better. We will be back shortly. We're just making a few improvements.”
However, multiple bettors told this publication that they woke up to find money credited onto their accounts despite having no active or winning tickets.
“I woke up to find Shs354,000 deposited on my account yet I had no running ticket prior,” one bettor said.
"I didn't understand, I remember I slept off with no winnings on Betpawa, I found 63k on my account. I checked slips that maybe had won in the night but there was none, I checked transaction history I had not made any," said another punter.
The Nile Post understands that the system error may have resulted in payouts exceeding Shs2 billion before the platform was taken offline, although the company has not publicly confirmed the figure.
The glitch also disrupted withdrawals. Several users reported that while funds were deducted from their betting wallets, the money did not reflect on their mobile money accounts.
BetPawa later announced that withdrawals had been suspended due to technical difficulties, stating that they would be processed once the issue was resolved.
Livingstone Mugambe, the BetPawa Uganda marketing manager, declined to comment on the specifics of the incident when contacted, saying he would refer the matter to the appropriate official.
That referral had not been made by press time.
The temporary shutdown triggered panic among some bettors, with fears that the company could have ceased operations — similar to what happened when SportyBet exited the Ugandan market more than a year ago, leaving some users unable to access funds.
At the time of publishing this story, some bettors told the Nile Post the "unexpected windfalls" had been reversed from their accounts while those whose genuine withdrawals had been affected were also reversed.
BetPawa is one of several licensed sports betting companies operating in Uganda under the oversight of the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board.
The firm operates largely through mobile platforms, allowing users to deposit and withdraw money via mobile money services — a model that has helped fuel the rapid expansion of online betting in the country.
Uganda’s gaming industry has grown significantly over the past decade, driven by high youth unemployment, widespread smartphone use, and the popularity of European football leagues.
For many young Ugandans in an economy where formal jobs remain scarce, betting has become both a form of entertainment and a perceived income opportunity — despite repeated warnings from economists and social commentators about the financial risks involved.
Thursday’s glitch briefly reversed the usual flow of funds from bettors to operators, but it also exposed the scale of daily activity on digital betting platforms and the financial volumes involved.
As BetPawa works to restore full operations, the incident is likely to raise fresh questions about system safeguards, consumer protection, and the broader social footprint of Uganda’s fast-growing betting industry.