The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) has begun the destruction of 2,347 illegal gaming machines this week, as part of its ongoing nationwide campaign to eliminate unlicensed gambling operations in Uganda.
The machines, including betting machines, and others, are being disposed off by the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) U Ltd, a licensed e-waste management company in an environmentally responsible manner.
This brings the total number of illegal gaming machines destroyed this year to 3,347, with more still awaiting court-directed disposal.
The exercise, carried out in Luwero Industries, Nakasongola, follows months of inspections, confiscations, and legal processing aimed at upholding the Lotteries and Gaming Act, Cap 334, which mandates that all gaming operators in Uganda be licensed.
While addressing journalists, Denis Mudene Ngabirano, the CEO of the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB), revealed that over 5,000 illegal gaming machines have been confiscated so far this year.
“We have so far confiscated over 5,000 illegal gaming machines. Yesterday alone, we submitted 2,347 of them to NEC for destruction. These were all unlicensed machines being used to exploit unsuspecting members of the public.”
The destruction operation is just one part of the Board’s multi-pronged enforcement strategy. The NLGRB’s Inspection and Compliance Unit routinely carries out countrywide checks to identify illegal operations.
During the operation, suspected machines are seized by the Enforcement Division and held in secure warehouses pending court approval for destruction usually through the Standards and Utilities Court in Makindye.
Ngabirano made it clear that none of the machines seized by the Board ever return to circulation, a response to public skepticism and reports alleging the resale of confiscated units.
“It is very false that these machines ever find their way back to the public once confiscated by the Board. We maintain a strict registry and transparent process from confiscation, court orders, to destruction. We even match court and NEC records to maintain accountability," he said.
The board’s partnership with NEC Industries, a certified e-waste handler, ensures that the machines are safely and permanently dismantled, preventing environmental damage and illegal reuse.
Ngabirano responded to a long standing question by the public about what happens to the coins found inside these machines during raids revealing that this money is deposited into the consolidated fund.
“During the loading and inventory process, any money found in these machines is counted in the presence of auditors, legal, and enforcement teams. To date, we’ve recovered about shs 11 million, and all of it has been deposited into the Consolidated Fund,” he explained.
He added that this money is recorded and reflected in the Board’s financial reports as part of its commitment to transparency and accountability.
The Board also revealed that a large number of illegal machines are smuggled into the country as electronic spare parts, then assembled locally.
“They import parts disguised as electronic spares and hire local carpenters to build cabinets. The assembled machines are then distributed around the country illegally,” Ngabirano explained.
Ngabirano noted that they're closely working with Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to track and block these illegal imports at the entry points.
He stressed that the Board's regulatory efforts are not just about equipment they are about protecting the public, particularly unsuspecting players who might fall victim to fraudulent or unregulated operators.
“If you gamble with an unlicensed operator and they don’t pay you, we cannot help you,” he warned.
“But licensed operators have a bank guarantee with us. If they default on paying a winner, we investigate and, if confirmed, the Board can pay out that claim using the guarantee.”
He urged all gaming and betting businesses to obtain proper licenses, warning that the Board would continue its operations until full compliance is achieved nationwide.
“Gaming is not a money-making venture. It’s a leisure activity. Only play with what you can afford to lose,” Ngabirano advised, calling on all punters to gamble responsibly.
Mariam Kantinti, the Waste Manager at Luwero Industries, confirmed the receipt of the machines from the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board.
She explained the process the machines undergo prior to destruction, noting that they are first sorted and then incinerated.
"When we receive waste, we wait to ascertain the quantities, after weighing the weight and also inspecting it, we record whatever we have received, so after there, we take it to the sorting area where it's sorted and segregated according to the waste type. We remove the plastics from the wood, the glass, the metals and the cables, the wood is transported to Nakasungola for reuse. We have a wood boiler here where we use the wood waste, then the plastics is shredded and taken to the recyclers," she explained.
To strengthen its reach and enforcement, the Board has recently opened regional offices, ensuring that illegal gaming equipment is tracked, seized, and destroyed in all corners of the country.