MPs propose ban on daytime sports betting

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of Parliament on the finance committee have proposed that daytime sports betting activities be banned.

The proposal was presented by Enos Asiimwe, the Kabula County MP in Lyantonde district during a meeting between the Committee, and the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board-NLGRB at Parliament on Tuesday.

Asiimwe argued that daytime betting has encouraged idleness among the youths thus requiring stringent measures to regulate the sector and allow the youth to engage in productive work in their community.

Denis Ngabirano, acting Chief Executive Officer who also doubles as Head Strategy and Corporate Affairs of the Board said that the government is already considering amendments to streamline the sector through the National Central Electronic Monitoring System.

But Asiimwe asked the board to liaise with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to ensure that for online betting, the websites aren’t accessible during working hours. But Jane Pacuto, the Pakwach District Woman representative rejected the proposal.

Pacuto pointed out that having betting activities take place after working hours would breed fertile grounds for rampant domestic violence when some men refuse to return home after work in preference for gambling.

Early this month, Julius Osita, a Kyambogo University student lost his tuition of 600,000 at one of the betting centres in Banda, a suburb of Kampala.

The Gaming Board has since reached out to Osita to offer him and 10 others counseling to treat their betting addiction.

The Board lobbied the MPs for 2 Billion Shillings funding from the Government to create a National Central Electronic Monitoring System to detect and monitor gaming activities and boosting revenue collections in the betting sector.

Between July 2021 and March 2022, the Gaming Board collected 79.7 Billion in taxes out of expected 92.7 Billion Shillings.

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