Uganda’s Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija, has announced that tax proceeds from gaming and betting will be directed towards developing sports infrastructure in preparation for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

This decision comes as the country anticipates a significant increase in revenue from the gambling sector.

In the 2022/23 financial year, the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board collected a surplus of Shs33bn ($8.87m), remitting Shs193bn to the National Treasury.

Now, with the entry of new players such as ITHUBA Uganda, the government projects collections from lotteries and gaming to reach at least Shs300bn in the 2024/25 financial year.

ITHUBA, which has invested Shs51.8bn as Uganda’s first national lottery operator, has already established jackpots worth Shs2.8bn for various games.

Off the back of such developments, the national lottery is expected to generate Shs87bn in gaming tax and Shs60bn in non-tax revenue.

The sports subsector’s focus for 2024/25 financial year includes the construction of Hoima Stadium, estimated to cost Shs280bn and the renovation of Namboole Stadium.

Parliament has approved Shs152bn for the Hoima project, which is part of Uganda’s joint Pamoja bid with other East African countries to host AFCON 2027. The current budget also allocates Shs110bn for constructing training facilities across the country.

Additionally, Uganda needs to contribute $30m in commitment fees for hosting rights, a cost shared with other East African countries such as Kenya and Tanzania.