How to get a gambling licence in Uganda: fees and steps

The Board issues separate operating licences by class (s. 27(2)); two or more may be combined in one licence document. The 2026 list prints a mode of operation, online or land-based, against each licence number.

• The national lottery is one exclusive licence, issued by the Minister responsible for finance on the Board's recommendation.
• The 2026 list shows 31 online general betting, 13 online casino, 3 online bingo and 11 software licences.
• No rule says whether one licence may cover several brands or domains; the list prints one trade name and, for most online licences, one website per operator.

Laws that apply

• Lotteries and Gaming Act, 2016 (Act 7 of 2016; Cap. 334), as amended by the Lotteries and Gaming (Amendment) Acts of 2018 (Act 4), 2023 (Act 10) and 2026 (Act 12)
• Lotteries and Gaming (Licensing), (Minimum Capital Requirements), (Betting) and (Gaming and Betting Machines) Regulations, 2017 (S.I. 7, 8, 9 and 10 of 2017)
• Lotteries and Gaming (Fees) Regulations, 2024 (S.I. 89 of 2024), amended by S.I. 93 of 2025
• NLGRB Responsible Gaming Directives, 2025 and Gaming (Advertisement) Directive, 2020
• Income Tax Act (s. 131, as substituted by Act 21 of 2026), Tax Procedures Code Act ss. 93A-93B, Anti-Money Laundering Act (Cap. 118)

No instrument says the applicant must be a Ugandan company, and foreign-incorporated suppliers hold software licences on the 2026 list. Foreigners pay a higher fee than Ugandan and East African nationals for most items.

• A company files its certified incorporation documents, a registered power of attorney for a contact person, its principal and operational premises and a NITA-U registration as a data collector.
• Shareholders, directors and the secretary are identified, with proof of beneficial ownership (Form 1), Interpol and police clearances, and key employees' CVs and work permits if they are foreigners resident in Uganda.
• The Board assesses the integrity, competence and financial circumstances of the applicant and every person relevant to the application (s. 42(2)).
• Minimum capital is shown by a bank statement the Board can verify, and proved quarterly once licensed.

• Software suppliers file a certification of the software with the application; the Board has prequalified GLI Africa (Pty) Limited and BMM Test Labs Uganda Limited.
• Stakes and payouts may only run through the Bank of Uganda-licensed centralised payments gateway linked to URA; an operator not on it owes double the tax due or 5,500 currency points, whichever is higher.
• No rule requires a local server or a .ug domain; personal data stored outside Uganda needs equivalent protection or consent (Data Protection and Privacy Act 2019, s. 19).
• Casinos, internet casinos included, are accountable persons under the AML Act: due diligence, ten-year records and suspicious transaction reports within two working days.
• Online sites must display the operator's name, address and phone number, the licensed-and-regulated statement, the age warning, the addiction warning, the time and elapsed playtime, and links to dispute resolution, treatment resources, self-exclusion and game rules.

Regulatory fees are fixed amounts (S.I. 89 of 2024); the revenue charge is the gaming tax, collected by the URA.

• The Gazette misprints the foreigners' licence fee for online general betting and betting intermediaries; confirm both with the NLGRB before budgeting.
• Gaming tax returns are due by the 15th of the following month; late payment costs 2% a week.

• Every advertisement needs the Board's written approval before publication; television and radio adverts run only 11am-4pm and 11pm-4am on weekdays and 10pm-4am at weekends.
• Billboards and outdoor posters and banners are prohibited; every advert carries "Betting is addictive and can be psychologically harmful".
• The minimum age is 25. Operators must offer player-set deposit, spending and time limits, and enforce the Board's self-exclusion register.
• Players can complain to the Board, which aims to conclude within 30 days.

The route for a new online operator under the Act and the Licensing Regulations.

1. 01

   Open an e-licensing account

   licensing.lgrb.go.ug

   All applications are made online through the NLGRB E-Licensing portal, with the documents for the licence class.

2. 02

   File and pay the application fee

   UGX 50,000,000 (online betting, foreigners)

   The fee is not refunded if the application is withdrawn. A general betting licence is applied for at least two months before it is to start.

3. 03

   Newspaper notice

   7 days to advertise

   The Board publishes notice of the application at the applicant's cost; the public may make representations.

4. 04

   Board decision

   60 days

   The Board approves, rejects or part-approves within sixty days (s. 42(3)); a refusal is appealed to the Minister.

5. 05

   Guarantee, fee, licence

   To 31 December

   Take out the bank guarantee with a Bank of Uganda-licensed institution, pay the licence fee and receive the licence, which ends on 31 December of that year.

Tier-ordered: official government first, then practitioner, then trade media. Every primary figure was read from the in-force text on 10 Nov 2026.