Uganda arrests foreign national in Nebbi raid as NLGRB targets illegal gaming machine supply chains

The regulator says a Chinese national operating as “Mr. Lin” was running an unlicensed manufacturing and distribution setup, with fish tables, slot machines and more than 120 motherboards seized for suspected deployment into illegal outlets.

Uganda’s National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) says it has arrested a foreign national after a targeted enforcement operation in Makor Nyacara Ward, Nebbi District, carried out by its regional team based in Gulu with support from the Uganda Police Force.

In its account of the raid, the Board identified the suspect as Zhou Juhua, a Chinese national, and said he had been operating under the alias “Mr. Lin”, allegedly presenting himself as a licensed gaming-machine manufacturer while running an unlicensed manufacturing and supply operation.

Authorities reported seizing seven fish tables, 26 slot machines, five TV screens and more than 120 gaming motherboards, plus assorted spare parts. The regulator said it believes the equipment was intended for illegal deployment across unlicensed outlets, bypassing Uganda’s regulatory and tax frameworks.

The NLGRB said preliminary findings indicate possible breaches of Uganda’s Lotteries and Gaming Act requirements that manufacturers, suppliers and operators be duly licensed before conducting gaming business. It added that investigations are continuing to map the wider distribution network linked to the seized equipment.

The raid also underlines a broader enforcement trend in Uganda: regulators are increasingly targeting the upstream “hardware” ecosystem—manufacturers and suppliers—rather than only the street-level venues where illegal machines surface.