Uganda’s National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) has held a stakeholder engagement with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) as part of ongoing efforts to operationalise the National Central Electronic Monitoring System (NCEMS).
The engagement, involving NLGRB’s Regulatory Compliance Department and IT Unit alongside URA’s gaming unit, focused on strengthening cooperation between the two agencies ahead of the system’s implementation.
NCEMS is designed to centrally monitor gaming transactions, supporting regulatory supervision, accountability and transparency across licensed operators.
Discussions centred on aligning technical systems and clarifying how data captured through NCEMS will be accessed and used by each authority.
While gaming regulation and tax collection are governed by separate legal frameworks, both rely on shared data in practice, particularly for compliance monitoring, audit activity and enforcement action.
A member of URA’s gaming unit said: “The refresher training and discussions are far reaching because they help us monitor and manage the variances in data shared by operators in gaming.”
NLGRB stated that close coordination with URA is essential to ensure that the monitoring system produces reliable and consistent data. Officials noted that improved data quality supports both regulatory oversight and domestic revenue mobilisation, while also strengthening confidence in the governance of the gaming sector.
The meeting also addressed practical issues around data sharing arrangements, access permissions and system interoperability. NLGRB said the engagement provided clarity on how NCEMS data can be used to support each institution’s statutory mandate without duplicating oversight functions.
The regulator confirmed that further stakeholder engagements are planned as NCEMS moves towards full operation. NLGRB said the system forms part of broader efforts to improve regulatory effectiveness while protecting the public from gambling-related harm.
Regulatory authorities across Africa have increasingly emphasised the need for stronger oversight frameworks. In December 2025, lawmakers in Eswatini called for an immediate freeze on new gambling licences, citing regulatory gaps, weak enforcement mechanisms and growing concerns around underage participation in online gambling.
African regulators have increasingly turned to central monitoring systems as a tool to improve compliance, enhance tax collection and strengthen enforcement against unlicensed gambling activity
