Online Gambling Payment Methods for Uganda

The landlocked East African nation of Uganda is renowned for its abundance of wildlife (including gorillas), and majestic geography such as the Rwenzori Mountains with their snowy peaks, and Lake Victoria, which has the appearance of an ocean rather than a lake. Uganda also has a long and dark history of conflict, but despite this surprisingly, it boasts one of the most liberal land and online gambling industries on the African continent.

Gambling in Uganda is licensed and regulated under the authority of the Lotteries and Gaming Act (2016), and covers gaming, casinos, lotteries and betting. The Act is enforced by The Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board, which has the nation’s sole mandate to issue licenses for operators in each of the four categories above. Over and above issuing licenses, the board’s responsibilities include dispute resolution, enforcement and supervision.

Like most African nations, Uganda has in recent years seen a boost in internet accessibility and availability, as well as vast growth in the number of mobile users in the country. As a result, many Ugandan gamblers have switched over from land-based gambling venues and outlets to Ugandan online gambling sites as they’re more convenient, available 24/7 and offer many online gambling payment methods catered especially to Ugandan players.

Here is a list of safe and popular online payment methods Ugandans can use to deposit and withdrawal funds to and from their respective online casinos, gaming and betting sites:

Airtel Money is a highly popular Ugandan mobile money transfer payment option frequently used by gamblers to fund their online betting or casino accounts. As a mobile-based banking option, virtually anybody in Uganda with a mobile phone can use it to facilitate fast, secure and reliable payments - anytime, anywhere.

All you need is a phone, an Airtel Money account, the means to fund your account and login details for your chosen Ugandan-friendly online gaming site. Each transaction shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to reflect in your account.

To open your own Airtel Money account (if you don’t already have one), follow these steps:

1. Visit your nearest Airtel Money shop and speak to an agent.
2. With the assistance of the agent, register a new Airtel Money account .
3. Fill out the necessary registration form.
4. Show the agent some form of photo ID like a government ID, voter's card, tax certificate, valid passport, driver's license, LC ID or company ID.
5. Once your account has been set up, you’ll be issued with a new Airtel Money PIN.
6. Finally, you can deposit some money into your new Airtel Money account so you can use it to fund your online gambling accounts.

To make your online gaming deposits with Airtel Money, follow these quick and easy steps:

1. Dial *185#
2. Under the Airtel Money menu choose option 5 (Payments)
3. Under the Payments menu choose option 3 (Betting and Gaming)
4. Under the Betting and Gaming menu select your gambling site
5. Enter the amount you want to deposit (just the number, no punctuation)
6. Enter your payment reference (typically your gambling website username)
7. Enter your Airtel Money PIN to confirm payment
8. Expect to a receive an SMS confirmation that your deposit was a success

To use this method to fund your remote gambling accounts, you must first open an MTN Mobile Money account and add funds to it. Whenever you use this top Ugandan payment option, you can expect your deposits to be processed i.e. cleared in your gaming account within 15 minutes of completing the transaction.

If you don’t already have an MTN Mobile Money account, you can rest easy because it’s a simple, free, affordable and fast payment option available to Ugandans with mobile phones. Not only can MTN Mobile Money be used to fund your favourite online gambling or betting sites from anywhere within Uganda, but you can use it to pay bills, receive money, transfer money as well as buy a slew of goods and services over the internet.

It’s like having an ATM for a phone, but one that you must fund first before you can use it. From an online gambling perspective, MTN Mobile Money is a trusted, fast, secure, simple, highly affordable and widely accepted mobile-based payment method chosen by Ugandan online gambling fans to add funds to their betting or casino accounts.

To get a MTN Mobile Money account, follow these steps:

1. Pay a visit your closest authorised MTN Mobile Money agent.
2. Change over to a MTN Mobile Money-enabled card via a SIM swap.
3. Register your new account with the help of the friendly MTN agent.
4. Complete the new account registration form.
5. To verify your identity, present the agent with the original and a copy of a voter's card, company ID, valid passport, LC certificate, driver's license, tax certificate or a government ID.
6. Complete your registration by depositing some funds into your new Mobile Money account.

To make a quick internet gambling payment using MTN Mobile Money, follow these steps:

1. Dial*165#
2. On the MTN Mobile Money menu select option 4 (Payments)
3. Under the Payments menu choose option 4 (Goods and Services)
4. Enter the merchant code (for your chosen online casino or betting site)
5. Enter your payment reference (typically your gaming site username)
6. Enter the amount you want to deposit (just the figure, no punctuation)
7. Enter your MTN-issued PIN
8. Expect to receive an SMS confirmation that your deposit was a success.

After acquiring telecommunications network Orange Uganda in 2014, Africell was born, a network with more than 650 cell towers countrywide, and over a million active subscribers. To compete against rivals Airtel and MTN, Africell launched its own mobile money transfer offering which has proved to be very successful, particularly with online gambling fans.

An increasing number of Ugandan online gaming sites are offering Africell Money as a safe payment option, and it’s easy to see why - The service is secure, convenient and practically 100% reliable. As long as you have funds in it you can use it to pay bills, utilities, services, goods, and even TV subscriptions over and above online sports betting or casino accounts.

If you don’t have an Africell Money account, here’s how quick and simple it is to open one:

1. Visit your nearest Africell shop in Uganda.
2. Present the Africell agent with any form of picture identification such as your LC ID, driving permit, passport, employer ID, voter's card or student ID.
3. Once your identity has been verified, fill out an Africell account application form.
4. Once your new account has been created by the agent, you’ll receive an SMS asking you to change your Africell Money PIN.
5. The final step is to add some funds to your account which you can do then and there or at any other Africell shop or authorised Africell Money Agent in Uganda.

To make a fast transfer of funds from your Africell Money account to your online gambling account, just follow the steps highlighted below:

1. Dial *144#
2. On the Africell Money menu select the ‘Send Money’ option
3. In the Send Money menu, select the 'send to Africell Customer' option
4. Enter the recipient's phone number (this should be provided by your respective online casino or betting site)
5. Confirm that the transaction details are correct
6. Enter your Africell Money PIN
7. Expect to receive an SMS confirmation that your transaction was a success