Online gambling in Uganda
Uganda has a fully regulated online gambling industry, with state-licensed online casinos, sports betting operators and lotteries available to residents. Legal since 2016, Ugandan gambling sites offer everything from online slots to various live dealer casino games, while many will also branch out into sports wagering. The best Ugandan gambling sites can be accessed via both desktop computer and mobile, including via apps, with Android, iOS and Huawei all common across Africa. Ugandan gambling sites will often run welcome bonuses or sign up deals, which can be a great way to enhance your initial deposit, while some companies will even have no deposit bonuses available. Free spins and bonus bets are frequent at the top gambling sites in Uganda. Our Ugandan gambling guide will run you through everything you need to know to begin wagering online, including the top UG gambling sites and apps, latest offers, UGX gambling payment and much more.
Top gambling sites in Uganda
Various online gambling operators accept players from Uganda, with these websites licensed and legally able to accept players from this region. The top gambling sites in Uganda are often well-known globally, including brands like 22Bet, MelBet and Betika, which all have locally hosted websites.
The top gambling sites in Uganda are accessible across multiple platforms, including mobile, with gambling apps available for popular smartphones and tablets, and on computer with most having fully functional browser-based real money play.
Real money casino games available in Uganda include online slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and poker, with these some of the staples of gambling on the internet. Where gambling sites shade their land-based counterparts is the huge amount of spin-offs and twists that have been attached to online versions. For instance, there are progressive blackjack games you would never find at land-based gambling venues.
Another huge perk of Ugandan gambling sites is that you can can claim bonus offers, with these made up of various different promotions. For instance, one popular gambling website in Uganda offers players a 100% match bonus up to the value of 877,770 UGX. Other gambling sites might have a matched deposit bonus and free spins on slots as their welcome offer. For example a 100% up to 500,000 UGX + 100 free spins.
Gambling bonuses do have wagering requirements attached to them, with these forcing players to turn bonus money over a few times before you can withdraw it. Other terms that might apply include a cap on potential winnings, an expiry date and games requirements, for instance online slots clear wagering terms at 100%, while some table games only clear at 10%.
The best gambling sites allow you to wager on everything from football (or soccer) to politics to various US sports, both locally and on overseas action. The most popular sports to bet on in Uganda include football, athletics, rugby, basketball, boxing, netball, cricket and motorsports.
Funding online gambling accounts is a relatively straight-forward experience in Uganda, with options including credit and debit cards, web wallets, payment processors and even cryptocurrencies.
Real money gambling games in Uganda
Gambling Guides
Various forms of real money gambling are legal in Uganda. Check out these handy gamble guides to get started.
Online Poker
While not as popular in Uganda as other countries, one poker still has fans and it can be played at online poker rooms.
Casino Games & Rules
Are you a beginner to online gambling or a casino game, learn about all the ins-and-outs of the rules and gameplay.
Sports gambling
Ugandans residents gamble on many different sports including football, tennis, basketball, athletics, winter sports and handball.
Live gambling sites
Live casinos are very popular globally and Ugandans can play at them. Check out our live casino guides to learn more.
Horse Racing
Horse racing betting is legal in Uganda, as long as your chosen bookie is licensed to operate in the country. You can wager on races from Africa, Australia, New Zealand and various other places.
Online gambling in Uganda
Online gambling is legal in Uganda when offered by operators licensed by the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) under the Lotteries and Gaming Act, 2016. The Act created the NLGRB to license and supervise all betting, gaming, lotteries and casinos, including remote or online casinos.
Licensable activities cover nearly all mainstream products. Sports betting may be run both in shops and online under a General Betting Operating Licence. Casino gaming can also be delivered via “virtual or online platforms” where games approved by the Board are offered. Bingo explicitly includes “remote” and online bingo and is taken up by websites including Radio Bingo. The regime also provides for Pool Betting, Machine/Slot licences, Gambling Software suppliers, Promotional Competitions, Public Lotteries and the (exclusive) National Lottery.
What do Ugandans play? Football-led sports betting dominates, and participation is largely mobile-first. GeoPoll’s 2025 multi-country survey (which includes Uganda) found 72% of respondents had placed a bet, with 94% of bettors across the study using a mobile phone. Football remained the top betting choice continent-wide. These patterns mirror Uganda’s market where smartphone access has accelerated a shift to online operators.
Age limits are stricter than many jurisdictions. The law defines a “minor” for betting, casino and bingo as under 25 years — so these products are 25+. By contrast, the National Lottery is 18+, as clarified by the NLGRB’s leadership.
Players should stick to licensed brands: operating (or facilitating) casino, bingo, betting or gaming software without an NLGRB licence is an offence, and the Board can suspend or revoke licences for breaches. Using unlicensed/offshore sites is therefore not permitted. The NLGRB lists all of the current licensees in Uganda, with this updated regularly to reflect the current status.
In short: Uganda supports a broad, regulated online gambling markets, including online casinos, remote bingo, pool betting, lotteries and more, with the only pre-requisite that the operator holds the appropriate NLGRB licence. Football betting via mobile remains the most popular activity, with online casino titles and fast digital games gaining traction alongside it.
Top gambling apps in Uganda
Android gambling apps are clearly the no.1 way people wager online in Uganda, with these smartphones making up close to 90% of the market share, and this is reflected in statistic provided by operators.
Our sources tell us that over 70% of all casino play in Uganda is done via Android gambling apps, which is no surprise given iOS (around 6% mobile market share) and other platforms have a neglibible slice of the pie.
Gambling apps on Android smartphones can be downloaded in one of two ways, either directly from the operator (you will need to allow on non-market apps) or via Google Play, which does host real money apps in this part of the world.
Some legal gambling apps in Uganda will also have a mobile app for iOS smartphones and tablets, with these able to downloaded via the App Store, with no third party or non-market apps able to be accessed on the locked down handsets.
Real money gambling apps will give you access to everything you would expect, with this including casino games (slots, live dealer, video poker etc), sports betting and even lotto betting, which essentially allow you to enter in draws all over the world.
All of your back-room stuff, like payments, customer service , bonus and promotional information is available via Ugandan gambling apps, with plenty of time and effort put into creating applications that are easy use and navigate.
Gambling laws in Uganda
Gambling laws in Uganda are liberal and allow both land-based and online play, sports betting and lotteries.
Regulated forms of gambling in Uganda — including both online and offline play — fall under the Lotteries and Gaming Act, 2016 with this body forming the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) to supervise and provide licensing for the industry.
Basically all forms of gambling in Uganda are legal as long as they hold the relevant license from the NLGRB.
Legal gambling in Uganda includes:
- the National Lottery (an exclusive licence issued by the Minister),
- public lotteries and promotional competitions,
- casino gaming (including virtual/online casino platforms approved by the Board),
- sports betting (both online and land-based), bingo (including remote/online bingo),
pool betting, - Slot/machine operations, gambling software suppliers, and licences to manufacture/supply/install gaming equipment.
Age limits are strict. For sports betting, casinos and bingo, participation is 25+. The National Lottery is 18+ (with this clearly stated on the authority website). Ugandan gambling sites must verify age and restrict access accordingly.
What’s illegal? Running a public lottery, casino, betting facility, gaming/betting machines, or supplying gambling software without a licence is an offence punishable by fines and/or imprisonment; the Board may also suspend or revoke licences for breaches. Using or facilitating unlicensed operations is therefore prohibited.
UGX payment options at gambling sites
There are many different payment methods available at Ugandan gambling sites, with these including credit and debit cards, payment processors, web wallets and even pay-in-person cash options.
What payment methods are available will depend on each operator, although you can almost guarantee they will cater to the Ugandan Shilling, and have options that are suitable for most types of players.
The most common ways to fund gambling accounts in Uganda include MTN Mobile Money and Airtel, which allow punters to transact using data or USSD connections, and pay with their mobile. These services are essentially web wallets and are a key driver of digitising the Ugandan economy.
The most popular cards accepted at Ugandan gambling sites include Visa and Mastercard, while you can also use pre-paid vouchers purchased in shops across the country. Funding gambling sites with cash is also possible, with some operators having shop fronts.
Uganda is rolling out a centralised payment gateway for the betting sector (licensed by the Bank of Uganda and monitored by URA). Once fully implemented, all wagers and payouts must pass through this gateway, but end-user methods (MTN/Airtel, shops, etc.) should remain, but they will be rerouted through the central system. The World Gambling List will update our guide if anything changes with UGX payments when the centralised payment gateway is rolled out in full, but we expect it will be seamless.
UGX deposit options at gambling sites include:
- MTN Mobile Money (MoMo)
- Airtel Money
- Cash at Oerator shops
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Credit Cards
- Debit cards
History of gambling in Uganda
Uganda’s gambling story blends old customs with modern industry. Long before formal casinos, Ugandans placed friendly or informal wagers on local contests and early sporting events, with stories of “friendly betting” that pre-dated regulation.
Under British rule, gambling became more commonplace, particularly betting on sports, and notably football pools and racing codes, with this embedding it into the psyche of Ugandans.
A distinctly Ugandan gambling game is Omweso, a centuries-old mancala board game widely played for skill and prestige; while primarily recreational it was and is sometimes played for small stakes, it illustrates deep gaming traditions that preceded colonial influences.
Post-independence (after 1962), casinos appeared in Kampala, and the modern gambling framework arrived with the Lotteries and Gaming Act 2016, which created today’s regulator, the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB).
What truly popularised gambling in the 2000s–2010s was sports betting, supercharged by mobile phones and MTN/Airtel mobile-money rails that made small, instant deposits possible. This shift turned betting shops and apps in Uganda into mass-market products.
Poker has evolved from a niche game to now being available in Kampala at rooms like Mayfair’s Casino poker room and Jim Poker Room, which both have Texas Hold’em cash games and tournaments. While poker has boomed in other places, it is more of a steady scene in Africa.
In short: informal wagering predates colonial times; the colonial era introduced organised betting and mobile-era sports betting drove mass uptake in the early 00s.
Ugandan gambling FAQ
Have you got a question about gambling in Uganda? Drop us a message in the box below, or email us at contact@worldgamblinglist.com.
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Is online gambling legal in Uganda, and what does the Lotteries & Gaming Act say about it?
Yes, online gambling is legal in Uganda, with this falling under the Lotteries and Gaming Act, which in turn formed a regulator. This regulator now oversees all gambling in Uganda.
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Which regulator oversees online betting and casinos, and must sites be locally licensed?
Gambling sites and land-based gambling venues in Uganda must be licensed locally, with the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board in-charge of providing a safe regulatory environment.
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Can Ugandans legally use offshore sites, or are they blocked/penalized?
Offshore gambling sites are not generally blocked in Uganda, but most will not accept players from this region. Some based out of Curacao, or other licensing regimes, will allow customers from Uganda, but the World Gambling List chooses to only advertise operators endorsed by the NLGRB.
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What is the legal age for gambling in Uganda?
The legal age for most forms of gambling — both online and offline — is 25+. Lotteries can be entered after residents turn 18 years old. These age restrictions have come under criticism from some locals who believe they force customers under 25 into the arms off illegal operators, based overseas.
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Are gambling winnings taxed in Uganda?
Sports betting in Uganda is subject to a 15% withholding tax (WHT) on the gross amount of the payment, with this including the deposit and winning amount. There is no WHT on player winnings since the 2023 changes to gambling laws in Uganda, instead the gambling sites themselves pay tax on gaming revenue, at a rate of 20%.
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Which payment methods work best—MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money, bank cards, crypto?
MoMo payments and Airtel are probably the two main deposit options at Ugandan gambling sites, although bank cards and payment processors are also available.
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Are RNGs and odds independently tested (e.g., certified labs), and how do I verify?
Yes, Random Number Generators (RNGs) and electronic gaming machines and their odds are independently tested by bodies like eCOGRA, and their regulators.
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Is using a VPN to access blocked sites legal or risky in Uganda?
While using a VPN to access offshore casinos is not risky, the World Gambling List recommends playing with the regulated Ugandan gambling industry.
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Can I bet in UGX, and are there foreign-exchange fees on some sites?
Ugandan gambling sites will accept payments in the shilling and other currencies, although generally your balance will be displayed in the UGX. There is also not generally exchange fees for changing currencies.
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Is esports gambling permitted, and on which titles/leagues?
Esports is a growing medium to bet on in Uganda, with most betting sites featuring markets on the professional scenes of games like League of Legends, Dota 2, Fortnite, Mobile Legends and many others.
