Project Year

2013

Region(s)

East Africa

Country(ies)

Uganda

Project Description

Sports betting is a common form of gambling in Uganda among all age groups. The making of bets and receipt of payments can now be done over the mobile money platforms of various mobile telephone service providers. There is a dearth of knowledge with regard to the drivers (especially the mobile money payments system) and implications of this phenomenon. This study seeks to examine the role of mobile money payments (making bets and receipt of payments) in the execution of sports betting in Uganda. Anexploratory mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative) research design guided by Ajzen’s (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior will be employed in reaching the study’s objectives. This study will be guided by a series of research questions which include: How does sports betting take place over mobile money payments platforms? What are the motivational factors that drive persons into sports betting in particular and gambling in general? Do social networks have a role to play in the uptake of sports betting? What are the social benefits as well as social costs of sports betting? What institutional frameworks exist in Uganda to regulate sports betting in particular and gambling in general? What are sports betters’ attitudes or perceptions toward risk? Answering the above questions is important in the attempt to better regulate the sector as well as mitigate any associated adverse effects.

Researcher(s)

Bruno Yawe, Kizito Ssengooba

About the Researcher(s)

Bruno Lule Yawe is a Senior Lecturer and Chair of the Department of Economic Theory and Analysis, School of Economics, Makerere University. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Makerere University, a Master of Arts in Economics and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Dar es Salaam.   He received advanced training in Quantitative Methods, Economic Theory and elective courses in the fields of Health Economics and Financial Economics.  He served as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Economics, American University, Washington, D.C. during March and April 2009 where he underwent mentoring to teach Gender-aware Macroeconomics to the UNDP sponsored Master of Arts (Gender-Aware Economics) Program. He is also the Coordinator of the Master of Arts (Gender-Aware Economics) Program.  He has published in the following journals amongst others: Tanzanian Economic Trends, TET: A Biannual Review of the Economy; Health Policy and Development Journal; Zambia Social Science Journal; Telecommunication Policy; and the International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development.  He has consulted for local and international organizations in various areas.   His current research interests include but are not limited to: ICT and financial services; performance measurement (efficiency, equity, quality, effectiveness) in health care and education.

Kizito Ssengooba is a Chartered Accountant based in Uganda. Since May 2012, he has worked as a Senior Assistant Bursar in charge of Projects and Assets at Kyambogo University, Kampala. He is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) of the United Kingdom. Additionally, he holds a Master's of Business Administration (Finance) Degree and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) Degree from Makerere University.  Prior to joining Kyambogo University, he served as the Operations Manager of Luweero Teachers’ Savings and Credit Cooperative. He has worked with both government and non-governmental organizations as well as local and international organizations at senior management levels involving strategic and operational guidelines. He has over nine years of experience working with organizations that fight poverty by empowering people to undertake income generating ventures. Over the period March – July 2012 he served as a research assistant for the survey of “Clients Attitudes towards Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) Services” undertaken by Yawe Bruno (Ph.D.) for the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology.

Click here to read their Final Report, "Gambling and Mobile Money Payments: A Case Study of Sports Betting in Uganda"

Link to Bruno Yawe's blog post: "Unemployed Ugandan Youth Gravitate to Sports Betting"