At a time when the digital transformation of the African betting industry is outpacing traditional regulatory systems, Uganda is taking a leading role in creating a united front. During the inaugural iGaming AFRIKA Summit 2026 held at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, Denis Mudene, CEO of Uganda’s National Lottery and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB), called for the establishment of the East African Gaming Regulators Forum.
Speaking during a high-level panel discussion focused on the continent’s changing regulatory landscape, Mudene stated that the era of countries regulating and monitoring in isolation has come to an end. He warned that without a formal and integrated body, illegal and offshore operators will continue to exploit regulatory gaps between neighboring borders.
This proposal comes at a critical moment for the East African Community (EAC). Due to the growth of mobile money transfers and cross-border digital payments, betting organizations can simultaneously access customers in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania without obtaining local licenses.
During the discussion, Mudene noted that the market is no longer limited by physical borders. He emphasized that without coordination, “black market” actors will continue to move from one country to another to evade the law, highlighting the need for common standards and integrated enforcement capabilities to block these loopholes.
The proposed forum will focus on three main pillars: Information Exchange to quickly share data regarding unlicensed foreign websites; Harmonization of Standards to align basic regulations such as age verification and self-exclusion tools; and Disrupting Financial Flows** by working together with telecoms and payment providers to block transactions to non-compliant operators.
Mudene’s call is backed by the results achieved within his own country. Under his leadership, the NLGRB has transitioned from traditional oversight to a data-driven enforcement model. Through a campaign dubbed “Operation Mashine Haramu,” Ugandan authorities recently confiscated over 7,000 illegal gaming machines and successfully shut down more than 20 unlicensed websites.
Furthermore, Uganda’s gaming revenue has shown significant growth, expected to rise from 17.4 billion Ugandan Shillings in 2019/20 to 323 billion Shillings in 2024/25. Mudene attributed this success to strict licensing and the implementation of the National Central Electronic Monitoring System (NCEMS), which allows for live monitoring of every betting activity.
Beyond revenue generation, the summit highlighted that the human cost of illegal gambling is the primary motivation for reform. Other participants, including Esther Argwings of the Kenyan gaming regulatory authority and Peter Imolemo Ksitilwe of the African iGaming Alliance, agreed that the establishment of a regional forum would strengthen consumer safety.
By standardizing deposit limits and similar precautionary measures across the East African region, authorities can ensure that players blocked in one country cannot easily switch to an unregulated site in another.
As the summit concluded, a consensus was reached: for the African gaming ecosystem to be sustainable, it must be secure. Mudene’s call for the East African Gaming Regulators Forum is viewed as the first concrete step toward a future of preventing illegal activities.
