Eddy, one of BetPawa’s lucky customers once won Shs 397 Million on Aviator
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Thousands of Ugandan sports bettors were left stunned on Thursday morning after a major technical failure at BetPawa credited unexpected cash into users’ accounts, turning some punters into instant millionaires and triggering widespread panic across the betting community.
Industry sources told Habari Daily that the system error may have resulted in payouts exceeding Shs2 billion before the platform was abruptly taken offline, although the company has not publicly confirmed the figure.
The incident unfolded at around 10am, when users attempting to log into their BetPawa accounts were locked out as the platform suddenly went into “Maintenance Mode.” A message posted on the company’s official X (formerly Twitter) account attributed the disruption to a technical glitch involving incorrect betslip settlements.
Fixing a fatal glitch
“Maintenance Underway! We are currently resolving a technical issue regarding incorrect betslip settlements. No, we haven’t been attacked, we just need a moment to fix a glitch so we’ve had to go into Maintenance Mode. All operations will resume shortly,” BetPawa Uganda said.
Visitors to the site were greeted with a notice reading: “We’re making Betpawa even better. We will be back shortly. We’re just making a few improvements.”
However, behind the calm tone of official communication, chaos was unfolding among users. Multiple bettors reported waking up to find unexpected deposits of cash credited to their accounts — despite having no active bets or winning slips.
“I woke up to find Shs354,000 deposited on my account yet I had no running ticket prior,” one bettor told this publication.
Yet another said that he slept with no winnings on BetPawa, but found Shs63,000 on his account, but there was nothing to explain it.
Some users reported receiving amounts ranging from tens of thousands to millions of shillings, effectively turning them into overnight millionaires due to what appeared to be a system-wide settlement error.
The glitch also severely disrupted withdrawals. Several users complained that while funds were deducted from their betting wallets, the money never reflected on their mobile money accounts. BetPawa later confirmed that withdrawals had been temporarily suspended due to technical difficulties, assuring customers that all pending transactions would be processed once the system was fully restored.
Bulk settlement of bets
Habari Daily understands that the technical failure may have caused incorrect bulk settlement of bets, leading to automated payouts across thousands of accounts. By the time the company shut down the platform, insiders estimate that billions of shillings may have already been credited.
When contacted for comment, BetPawa Uganda marketing manager Livingstone Mugambe declined to address the specifics of the incident, saying the matter would be referred to the appropriate official. By press time, no further response had been issued.
The temporary shutdown sparked panic among bettors, many of whom feared that the company could have ceased operations altogether — similar to what happened when SportyBet exited the Ugandan market more than a year ago, leaving some customers unable to access their funds.
“I thought it was another SportyBet situation. I rushed to withdraw everything,” one user said, explaining the surge in withdrawal attempts that may have further strained the system.
No funds reversal?
By Thursday afternoon, BetPawa announced that engineers were working to restore full services and correct the settlement errors. However, the company did not clarify whether funds credited in error would be reversed, raising questions about potential recovery efforts and the legal implications for users who managed to withdraw the unexpected cash.
The incident has reignited debate over the reliability and regulation of online betting platforms in Uganda, with calls for tighter oversight to protect consumers and ensure system integrity.
As thousands of bettors wait for clarity, the BetPawa glitch will likely be remembered as one of the most dramatic moments in Uganda’s betting history — a morning when ordinary punters briefly became millionaires, thanks to a costly technical collapse.
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