With more than a thousand casinos in Uganda, gambling has become a craze among its youth. There are about fifty companies that have the required licenses to operate casinos in Uganda. The options for gambling in Uganda include lotteries, sports betting, pool clubs and traditional casinos.
Government crackdown on gambling:
In an effort to curb gambling which is seen as a major cause of the growing poverty, the National Lotteries Board doubled up the license fee to $3,500 in 2013. Besides the fees, the Board also banned setting up gambling centers and casinos anywhere near government offices, churches and markets. Despite the move, gambling continues to draw huge crowds in casinos and betting centers that are open throughout the day and night.
The youth of Uganda are getting trapped in ever increasing debt and poverty because of their addiction to gambling, according to NGO Board of Uganda. The love for sports betting and online gambling is also a deterrent for many youngsters to seek active employment, according to the Board. A majority of the population in Uganda earns below one dollar a day in income.
Gambling a source of revenue:
Gambling is a good source of revenue for the government although many illegal casino operators in Uganda do not pay taxes. About five million dollars is the average earnings in the form of taxes for the government from gambling and betting. Gambling forms including casinos, lottery and betting were formally legalized in 2004.
The first betting center was opened in 2007 with Sports Betting Africa. Currently close to forty-two million dollars are spent on betting or gambling every year in Uganda.
Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, has the most number of gambling centers including 7 casinos and more than two hundred video poker machines, slots and 79 table based games. Kampala also houses the biggest casino in the country with Casino Simba. The casino giant owns 130 gaming, video poker machines and 20 table games. The other major casino in Kampala is the Kampala Casino. Open until 2 am in the morning, the casino offers many avenues for gambling including progressive slots, video poker, Caribbean stud poker, American roulette and slot machines.
Online gambling is offered by many foreign companies and websites. With the plethora of betting sites available, sites like www.bestbettingbonuses.co.uk which compare and best offers on free bonuses and other features can be very useful. With online casinos and gambling, it is crucial to know the safety features, payment methods, how bonuses really work and so on. Betway and other online international avenues are also fueling the interest in online gambling.
Worldstar Betting Uganda is another major gambling company in Uganda with over seventy betting centers. Recently the gambling services provider signed up a deal with Offside Gaming – a leading sports betting technology company. The deal is expected to bring in live streaming every day of sporting events along with a new mini browser.
Gambling is legal in many countries across the world and is a major source of revenue for the government, besides providing thousands of jobs. Getting rid of illegal gambling along with sustained economic development will help Uganda cope with the rising addiction to gambling.