Uganda’s National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board Chief Executive Officer, Denis Mudene, has called for the establishment of an East African Gaming Regulators Forum to harmonise responsible gaming standards and strengthen cross-border enforcement against illegal gambling operators.
Mudene made the remarks during a high-level panel discussion on Africa’s evolving regulatory landscape at the inaugural iGaming Africa Summit held in Nairobi from May 4 to 6.
He said the rapid growth of digital gaming platforms across Africa requires closer collaboration among regulators, warning that illegal operators continue to exploit regulatory gaps created by fragmented national systems.
“The market is no longer confined within borders. Without coordination, illegal operators will continue to exploit regulatory gaps,” Mudene said.
The summit attracted participants from more than 100 countries, reflecting the expanding scale of Africa’s gaming industry, which now includes operators, telecom companies, payment providers and technology firms.
The panel brought together key stakeholders from across the continent, including Esther Argwings of Kenya’s Gambling Regulatory Authority, Olabimpe Akingba of the Association of Nigerian Bookmakers, Peter Emolemo Kesitilwe of the African iGaming Alliance and Denis Mudene. Discussions highlighted growing consensus that the future of gaming regulation in Africa will depend on regional cooperation and coordinated enforcement.
A major concern raised during the discussions was the increasing presence of illegal and offshore gaming operators targeting African markets without licences or regulatory oversight. Regulators warned that such operators undermine compliant businesses, expose consumers to financial and social risks, and contribute to significant tax revenue losses.
Uganda’s recent enforcement operations have underscored the scale of the challenge. Under Operation Mashine Haramu, authorities have confiscated more than 7,000 illegal gaming machines and shut down over 20 unlicensed websites.
“Illegal operators are not just a regulatory issue. They are a consumer protection issue and a revenue issue. When they operate outside the system, they undermine compliant businesses, expose players to harm and deprive governments of much-needed revenue,” Mudene said.
Regulators at the summit agreed that isolated national enforcement efforts are no longer sufficient, calling for shared intelligence, coordinated investigations and stronger collaboration with telecom and payment service providers to disrupt illegal gambling networks.
The discussions also highlighted how advances in mobile technology, digital payments and online platforms are transforming the gaming industry. Several African jurisdictions are now moving toward dedicated online gaming licences instead of treating digital gaming as an extension of land-based operations.
In Uganda, gaming operators are required to disclose their software providers and demonstrate how their systems operate. The regulator has also introduced licensing requirements for software providers as part of broader efforts to strengthen oversight across the gaming value chain.
Regulatory focus is increasingly extending beyond operators to include payment providers, affiliate marketers and technology vendors, sectors viewed as critical control points in a technology-driven industry.
Mudene noted that harmonisation does not necessarily mean adopting identical laws or tax structures, but aligning on key principles such as responsible gaming, consumer protection and anti-money laundering standards.
“Harmonisation is not about making every country the same, but about aligning on the fundamentals that protect the player and the integrity of the market,” he said.
Panelists also supported the adoption of common safeguards including self-exclusion systems, deposit limits and stronger age verification mechanisms to prevent players from bypassing restrictions across jurisdictions.
In Uganda, the Responsible Gaming Directives 2025 now require operators to implement these safeguards as part of daily operations, reinforcing a shift toward embedding responsible gaming into regulatory practice.
Regulators further stressed the need for stricter advertising standards to curb misleading promotions that portray gaming as a dependable source of income.
As Africa’s gaming industry continues to expand, stakeholders say sustainable growth will depend on balancing revenue generation with stronger consumer protection and public trust.
The proposed East African Gaming Regulators Forum is expected to provide a platform for shared intelligence, coordinated enforcement and policy alignment, with regulators expressing optimism that such cooperation could improve oversight, protect consumers and strengthen investor confidence across the region.
