Uganda key district bans sports betting

A number of meetings from several district councils last week resolved that the proprietors of sports betting facilities withdraw their machines as a matter of urgency from all the districts.

The meetings cited youth who spend the little money they have in betting instead of trying to generate income for themselves.

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Mr Ben Eumu, the Ngora District chairperson, said as Ngora, they have given an ultimatum that all machines in various trading centres be withdrawn before the year closes or risk being destroyed

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“Imagine every month a single machine earns proprietors Shs11m, which they repatriate, home, this is unacceptable,” he explained.

Mr Eumu said that a clear cut policy on investors should be drawn, saying betting in poor regions sends the country into more poverty.

In Amuria, the district speaker, Ms Ketty Akol, told Daily Monitor that a similar council resolution to ban betting machines that use coins from trading centres was recently passed awaiting implementation from the security operatives in the district.

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We realise that with the looming famine, some youth sale grain to raise money for betting, as council it was prudent that these machines are phased out, she added

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Mr Robert Okitoi Erisat, the Amuria District chairperson, said some machines have been confiscated in an attempt to implement the decree.