Key Points
- The NLGRB and Uganda Police have seized 36 illegal gaming machines in Amuru, Amolatar, and Dokolo, per an update published on 2 October 2026.
- There is a legal limit of 48 currency points or Shs960,000 fine for any illegal gaming machine, but even the Board has admitted that the amount is very low.
- In FY 2023/2024 to FY2025/26, 26 cases led to 22 convictions amid 9,983 illegal gaming machines being seized.
Operation Against Gambling Devices Concludes With 36 Devices Confiscated from Three Northern Districts
The authorities regulating gaming in Uganda have taken 36 illegal gaming machines from three northern districts. The timing poses a clear question to one. According to NLGRB, on 2 October 2026, it, together with the Uganda Police Force, confiscated gaming machines in Amuru, Amolatar, and Dokolo Districts. The confiscation was part of Operation Mashine Haramu, whose name is Swahili for ‘illegal machines’.
The Board has not indicated if any arrests were made and who owned the machines. The Board did not mention who owned the machines and from where the machines were recovered. The Board did appreciate the role played by whistleblowers and community leaders in providing information to them.
Thirty-six machines may be a modest number compared to previous operations. As recently as May, the Board had recovered 169 machines from West Nile in one coordinated operation. It is not the number but the consequences of law after the machines are recovered that make this latest operation noteworthy.
The Parliament Has Kept an Eye on Rural Areas Gaming
Amuru is located in the Acholi sub-region whereas Amolatar and Dokolo are found in the Lango region near Lake Kyoga. These rural regions have become a cause of concern for legislators this year. In a meeting held on 26 August 2026, the COSASE committee requested the Board to increase efforts in enforcing against the machines, lotteries and even online.
Kalungu County West MP, Joseph Ssewungu cited an interesting case from his home district. “People were telling me that they had sold their coffee after playing lotteries,” he noted. He also asked the Board to clarify to them about their licensing and enforcement in villages.
This raid is in addition to the efforts the board has been undertaking since the hearing. In the same month, it conducted a meeting with the police and leaders in Lira City and it did another one in Jinja. This is just in addition to the raiding exercise being done in the north.
What the Law Says, and What It Costs to Break It?
Uganda’s regulations, on paper, are extensive. For example, section 26 of the Lotteries and Gaming Act does not allow any person to furnish a gaming machine without a licence. Furthermore, sections 35 and 36 state that all machines have to be registered, and their manufacturer, serial number, and owner have to be stated.
Additionally, special licenses are necessary for manufacturing, supplying, installing and repairing gaming machines. Why is it done? To ensure that each gaming machine in a shop can be linked to its owner. This is very important since playing without a license means playing without security.
As for sanctions, they do not seem too strict. According to section 67, furnishing a gaming machine without a license means that one is liable to pay a fine not exceeding 48 currency points. With one currency point being equal to Shs20,000, this means Shs960,000, or imprisonment up to 2 years.
It is not clear whether this has any deterrent effect either. As Denis Mudene Ngabirano, the chief executive, appeared before the Committee on Statutory Instruments and other Legislation (COSASE), he indicated that this punishment was too minimal. It was stated that the fine stands at Shs900,000, just a bit lower than what the law stipulates. Besides, Ngabirano cited an issue that his team had discovered.
“As much as you have repeat offenders where they know very well that once they are arrested and put in court they will plead guilty knowing that they will be fined and then they just go about their business,” he indicated. There are calls by the board to change the law through amending the Act.
From Imported Parts to a Workshop in Pallisa
The Northern seizures reveal only the end of a much more elaborate process. According to Ngabirano, the machinery is imported as electronic spare parts. Examples include mother boards. Afterward, local labor fits together the chassis and ships them to market centers.
This process was revealed in Eastern Uganda in September. The police were informed by an informer about the alleged machine manufacturing in Pallisa. The Board has not revealed information on any equipment seized and no arrest was made.
Seizures can be destroyed through court orders from the Standards and Utilities Court of Makindye. In June, the Board destroyed 8,714 illegal machines in collaboration with the National Enterprise Corporation. These machines were recovered from Kampala and the Northern, Eastern and Western regions of Uganda.
Seizures Are High, Convictions Remain Low
The numbers paint a picture of both the size of the campaign and its limitations. For example, the Board’s launch of the strategy in July revealed that 4,400 machines were seized in FY2025/26. It further revealed government revenue from the gaming industry to be UGX 368.02 billion in the same fiscal year.
In August, the Board informed Parliament of the seizure of 9,983 machines over six years. The destruction of 6,749 out of the seized machines had been authorized by courts. Prosecutions reveal a much smaller story, with 26 cases filed during FY2023/24 – FY2025/26.
Out of the 26 cases, 22 resulted in convictions, two were ongoing in court while two were dropped due to lack of evidence. As reported in June, the Board had 21 convictions out of 24 cases. To summarize, thousands of machines were seized, but only a few dozen individuals appeared in court.
What Comes Next for Operation Mashine Haramu?
According to the Board, enforcement will continue nationwide. The five-year strategy of the board indicates closer cooperation with the police, the Uganda Revenue Authority, and local governments. Nevertheless, this change will depend on Parliament and legislation, which is currently being reviewed.
According to Ngabirano, about 93% of gaming activities are currently carried out online. The reform will see the creation of two types of licenses for online gaming establishments and land-based ones. The decision by the lawmakers to increase the penalty in Section 67 will determine the cost of these raids.
Expert Analysis: Uganda Is Counting Machines When It Should Be Counting Cases
We believe that the Amuru, Amolatar and Dokolo raid is important research which highlights an uncomfortable gap. Uganda is highly efficient when it comes to machine seizures, but significantly less effective when dealing with those responsible for placing them.
First of all, this issue can be traced by the statements of the Board itself. When the regulator talks about repeat offenders that plead guilty, pay fines and carry on with their business, the issue is not one of effort. The issue is the law that has to be applied.
Furthermore, the disparity between 9,983 seized machines and only 22 convictions should receive more attention from the media. Seized devices are easy to picture and to announce, and so they go first in any press release we’ve read. We consider convictions, repeat offenders and blocked supply lines to be the indicators of successful operation.
Some might say that the two-year prison sentence is enough to empower the courts. This might be the case theoretically. However, we haven’t found any evidence in the open media proving that prison sentences were used.
However, there is definitely credit to give here, and we want to be fair. Going into Amuru, Amolatar and Dokolo for law enforcement addresses the issue raised by the rural MPs in August. The Pallisa case illustrates that information about the suppliers can be gained and is where the pressure really counts.
In summary, it is a very clear message but one that can be debated: if penalties are not tied to the amount of gambling machines used or money earned by them in Parliament, each raid runs the risk of cleaning out a shop only to have it refilled.
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