James Mpiirwe on establishing Uganda’s regulatory and responsible gambling framework

In today’s episode of Safer Gambling Talks, we have with us James Mpiirwe, a long-standing veteran in the gaming, betting, casino and lotteries verticals spanning more than 13 years and a legal practitioner with extensive knowledge of the industry’s finer points.

Mpiirwe is also a member of the Casino Guru Awards panel of judges and a prominent advocate of compliance in the gambling industry. He is also the driving force behind Uganda'sLotteries and Gaming Act, a comprehensive piece of legislation that reformed the country’s gaming industry.

In this episode of the series, Mpiirwe talks about the stigma associated with passing a comprehensive gambling law in jurisdictions with no experience with this sort of work, but still need to control their industries – mostly left to grey areas and offshore activities – under control.

In his view, the biggest challenge he had to surmount in pushing for the Lotteries and Gaming Act to pass was the natural reluctance of lawmakers who associated gambling legislation with social ill rather than a reformist effort that could bring a lot of good if implemented correctly.

Uganda’s deeply religious background further contributed to the difficulties of navigating such legislation and proved one of the obstacles to be overcome during the legalization of the law.

Mpiirwe describes his involvement in the country’s gambling regulator, and his decision to step down and refocus his efforts on addressing the promotion of a more responsible approach by the industry towards consumers.

Once again, he has taken a leading role in these efforts, often finding himself in a challenging position where he imports knowledge from prominent responsible gambling meetings and panels worldwide to shape the conversation in Uganda about how the now-regulated industry can better protect consumers and thrive.

Image credit: Casino Guru News