Anglican Communion News Service

The Anglican Church of Uganda has added its voice to the chorus of protests against lottery games sanctioned by the Ugandan Government.

The Church said the lottery games, which have recently come to dominate public life in this east African country, were corrupting Ugandan society.

A resolution passed at a meeting of the House of Bishops on 24 and 25 August at Bishop Tucker Theological College, Mukono, called on President Yoweri Museveni's government to abolish "scratch-for-cash" lotteries. The bishops said that besides being anti-Christian and "devilish", the lotteries were impoverishing Ugandans.

Since the beginning of this year, the "scratch-for-cash" lotteries, as they are popularly called, have drawn protests in parliament and from religious and business leaders.

Under the old National Lotteries Act, the Uganda Government had the monopoly on national lotteries as a means of raising revenue. However, the government was unable to operate the lotteries effectively and now allows private companies, under the supervision of the National Lottery Board, to run the lottery games. At first the government charged 30 per cent on the lottery sales, but this was later reduced to 10 per cent.

There has been intense debate in the national printed press by religious leaders over whether or not it is un-Christian to take part in gambling and games of chance. The Mothers' Union, an organisation for Anglican married women, has told members and their families that they must not take part in such games.