New Monitoring System Exposes Uganda’s Booming Gambling Industry, Stakes Projected at UGX 14.1 Trillion
A sophisticated government monitoring system has uncovered the true, staggering scale of Uganda’s gambling and sports betting economy, with stakes projected to reach a record UGX 14.1 Trillion in the 2025/26 financial year.
The revelation was made by Bernard Winyi, Senior Manager of Finance and Administration at the National Lotteries and Gaming Board (NLGB), while presenting the Board’s 2026/27 National Budget Framework Paper to Parliament’s Finance Committee on Wednesday, 21st January 2026.
The surge in visibility is directly attributed to the operationalisation of the UGX 6.833 Billion National Central Electronic Monitoring System, purchased to oversee gambling activities. Winyi explained that before the system went live, operators self-declared their figures, revealing UGX 2.4 Trillion in stakes for 2022/23.
“This system has enabled us to get visibility and by so doing improve on the tax collections,” Winyi stated. Following its implementation in 2023/24, declared stakes more than doubled to UGX 4.3 Trillion, then jumped to UGX 8.3 Trillion in 2024/25. The current financial year is now expected to see UGX 14.1 Trillion flow through gambling platforms.
The increased oversight has directly boosted government revenue. According to the NLGB, revenue collected from sports betting and casinos for the first half of 2025/26 (July-December 2025) stands at UGX 176 Billion. This follows a total collection of UGX 323 Billion in the 2024/25 financial year.
With the half-year figure at UGX 176 Billion, the Board projects total revenue collection for the full 2025/26 year to hit UGX 391 Billion by July 2026.
Winyi’s remarks were in response to questions from the Committee Chairperson, Amos Kankunda (Rwampara County), who sought an update on the performance of the expensive monitoring system. Kankunda had asked, “How is it working? Would it be responsible for the revenue leakages or has it helped to improve?”
The figures presented confirm the system’s impact on compliance. Looking ahead, the NLGB’s 2026/27 budget is designed to support a 15% increase in revenue from the sector, aiming to raise collections from the projected UGX 391 Billion this year to UGX 450 Billion in the 2026/27 financial year.
The data paints a picture of a rapidly expanding industry now under closer government scrutiny, leading to significantly higher official revenue collections from gambling and betting activities nationwide.
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