Money · 7 min read · Updated
How to Deposit with MTN Mobile Money or Airtel Money
Cash play on Ludo Cash Arena is optional and only for adults aged 18 and over. When it is open, you top up your wallet in Uganda shillings with MTN Mobile Money or Airtel Money, straight from your phone. This guide shows every step, what the fee looks like and what to do if a payment seems stuck.
Before you deposit
You never need to deposit to play. Practice vs Bots, Quick Match for tokens, free rooms with friends and the Daily Free Cup are all free. A deposit is only for the optional cash modes, and only when they are open in your lobby. If you are not sure you want to play for money, keep playing for free.
- You must be 18 or older. We close any account held by someone under 18 and we may ask for ID.
- Complete your profile once before your first real-money action: your name, username, date of birth, gender, nationality, district and national ID number, plus accepting the terms. Free play never needs this.
- Have your MTN Mobile Money or Airtel Money account ready with enough balance for the amount plus the deposit fee.
- Decide a budget first. You can set daily, weekly and monthly deposit limits in Wallet, Limits.
Step by step: depositing with a PIN prompt
This is the usual way to deposit. You stay in the app and approve the payment on your own phone with your mobile money PIN.
- Sign in and open Wallet, then tap Deposit.
- Enter the amount in UGX. The minimum deposit is shown on the form. Your preferred amount may already be filled in.
- Check the summary: the deposit fee is added on top and the total you will pay is shown before you confirm. The full amount you entered lands in your cash balance.
- Choose the number to pay from. Your account phone is listed first; you can also pick a saved number or type another MTN or Airtel number.
- Confirm. A payment request is sent to that phone.
- On the phone, approve the prompt by entering your mobile money PIN. The app shows a message like 'Approve UGX 5,200 on 0772 *** 342 by entering your PIN.'
- Wait a few seconds on the deposit screen. Your wallet is credited as soon as the payment is confirmed, and you get a notification and a receipt.
Depositing through the secure payment page
Sometimes the app sends you to a secure payment page instead of a PIN prompt, for example when that is the payment route in use at the time. On that page you choose mobile money (or a bank card where offered), follow the steps and then come back to the app. The return page checks the payment and shows whether it went through. We only credit your wallet once the payment provider confirms it.
Fees and limits
- The deposit fee is added on top of the amount, so you pay the amount plus the fee and the full amount reaches your cash balance. The exact fee and total are shown before you confirm.
- There is a minimum deposit and a maximum per deposit and per day. The current values are shown on the deposit form and on our Refunds and Withdrawals page.
- Your own deposit limits apply too. Lowering a limit takes effect immediately; raising or removing it applies after 24 hours.
- Your mobile money provider may have its own transaction limits on your line.
Example: if the deposit form shows a fee of a few percent and you deposit UGX 10,000, you pay UGX 10,000 plus that fee, and UGX 10,000 lands in your cash balance. Always read the total on the screen before approving.
Topping up in the middle of joining a game
If you try to join a cash game or a room and your balance is short, the app offers a quick top-up for the amount you are missing (or the minimum deposit, whichever is bigger). Approve the payment, and the app brings you back to the same game choice. You still see the fee and total before you pay.
Where the money goes in your wallet
- Cash: real money from deposits and winnings. This is what you can withdraw.
- Bonus: credit from promotions or the monthly token conversion. It can be played, and becomes cash once its wagering requirement is met.
- Tokens: free play points with no cash value. Deposits never turn into tokens, and tokens are never withdrawable.
If something goes wrong
- No prompt arrived: check that the number is correct and has network, then try again. Some lines take a few seconds; do not start several deposits at once.
- You cancelled or ignored the prompt: nothing is charged and your wallet is unchanged. You can try again.
- The request expired: nothing was charged. Start a new deposit.
- You paid but the wallet did not update: wait a minute and open Wallet again. If you did pay, the deposit is credited once the provider confirms it, even if the screen showed it as cancelled. If it is still missing, contact Support with the reference from your mobile money message or wallet history.
- You were charged twice: contact Support with both references. Double charges are refunded or credited once confirmed with the provider.
Deposits are game credit, not a savings account. To get money back out you make a normal withdrawal to mobile money, which has its own fee shown before you confirm.
Playing responsibly with real money
Only deposit money you can afford to lose. Never use money meant for rent, school fees, food or family, and never borrow to play. Set deposit and loss limits in the app before your first cash game, and take a time-out if you feel you are playing more than you planned. Nobody is guaranteed to win.
Questions and answers
Which mobile money services can I use?
MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money in Uganda, in UGX. Where offered, the secure payment page may also accept a bank card.
Is there a deposit fee?
Yes. The deposit fee is added on top of the amount, and the exact fee and total are shown before you confirm. The full amount you entered lands in your cash balance.
Do I have to pay from my own number?
Deposits can come from any MTN or Airtel number you choose. Withdrawals, however, only go to a verified number in your own name.
What if I paid but my wallet was not credited?
Wait a minute and check again. Payments confirmed by the provider are always credited. If it is still missing, contact Support with the payment reference.
Do I need to deposit to play?
No. Practice, Quick Match for tokens, free rooms and the Daily Free Cup are free. Deposits are only for optional cash play, which is 18+ only.
Ready to top up?
Sign in, open Wallet and choose Deposit. Cash play is 18+ only; play with money you can afford to lose.
Keep reading
Play near you: Ludo Kampala, Ludo Entebbe, Ludo Wakiso, Ludo Nansana, Ludo Kira, Ludo Makindye-Ssabagabo, Ludo Mukono, Ludo Lugazi, Ludo Njeru, Ludo Mpigi and every district.