BungaBet, a fast-rising Ugandan betting firm, has introduced a simple way of placing your betting odds using any mobile handsets.
Online or mobile betting has been out of reach of many people since they needed smartphones and internet to play.
However, BungaBet has made it much easier, with a code that can be used to place odds, as well as deposit and withdraw money.
Speaking to Mr Prosper Tuhaise, at the company’s head office, the chief executive officer of the firm said, *238# is a simpler way to play without spending more money on the game. He, however cautioned people that betting, should be above 25 years old.
Mr Tuhaise, a strong proponent for responsible betting and gaming, saying, they are complying with all requirement of the Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board, a government body that is mandated to regulate the gaming industry through licensing and monitoring the management, establishment and operation of gaming, betting and lotteries in Uganda.
Asked about what betting companies should do to be more responsive to the needs of the Ugandan community, Mr Tuhaise said, betting companies should know that they are involved in business that needs regulation, internal and external.
He said, for that purpose, they try to show the human side of their company by doing community service.
BungaBet, one of the youngest betting firms, is already paying for school fees of about 100 students, it sponsors the feeding of the Crested Cranes at the Entebbe Zoo also known as the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre. In the recent past, they have donated to hospitals such as Nshwere and Bukiro health centres as well as Kawaala orphanage school. Last month, BungaBet has also entered into sponsorships for motor rally.
Betting companies have been under scrutiny especially by the ministry of finance, who believe, a ceiling should be put on foreign betting companies to take out a lot of money from the country without investing here. Foreign betting companies have also crossed the line, butting their booths in as far as villages where people live on less than a dollar a day. There is therefore a move to restrict their area of operations as well as how much they take which leads to shortage of foreign currencies in the country.
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