Uganda’s NLGRB seizes 104 illegal gaming machines in fresh Operation Mashine Haramu raids

Uganda’s National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board has confiscated 104 illegal gaming machines during enforcement raids along Mityana Road and in parts of Eastern Uganda, as the regulator intensifies its campaign to push gambling activity back into the licensed market.

According to the regulator’s latest enforcement update, the seizures were made during operations covering Buyala, Bujuko, Bukasa, Nabbweru and Lusaze along Mityana Road, as well as locations in Eastern Uganda. The Board said the machines were operating outside the law, making them subject to confiscation under its current crackdown on unauthorized gaming activity.

The action forms part of Operation Mashine Haramu, a nationwide enforcement campaign focused on removing illegal gaming equipment from communities and strengthening compliance across Uganda’s gambling sector. Reporting on the operation says the campaign is aimed not only at seizing unlicensed machines, but also at protecting the public, safeguarding government revenue and ensuring that only duly licensed operators remain active in the market.

The latest raids also fit a broader enforcement pattern already visible in recent months. In early March, the NLGRB reported the seizure of more than 28 illegal gaming machines in western districts including Sheema, Rubirizi and Kabale, while the regulator’s official platform has continued to emphasize machine destruction, compliance monitoring and the requirement that all gaming equipment operate under valid approval.

For Uganda’s regulated gaming market, the significance of the new operation lies in the message it sends. The Board is making clear that enforcement is no longer limited to isolated inspections, but is being used as a sustained tool to close off unlicensed channels and reinforce the legal, supervised segment of the industry. If the current pace continues, Operation Mashine Haramu could remain one of the defining compliance stories in Uganda’s gaming sector this year. This final point is an inference based on the regulator’s stated enforcement goals and the widening geography of recent raids.