NLA to clamp down on illegal lotto operators

08-09-2012               

The Upper East Regional office of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), the sole institution mandated to conduct lotto business in the country would soon clamp down on illegal lotto operators otherwise, referred to as ‘banker to banker’. The action which would be jointly conducted simultaneously with the police would help reduce fraud perpetrated by the illicit business of the banker to banker operators. Culprits apprehended during the intended police swoop would be made to face court sanctions since their activities violate the NLA Act 722 of 2006, thus posing a threat to the operation of the NLA. Speaking to Radio Ghana in Bolgatanga, the Regional Sales Manager of the NLA, John Joseph Dassah said the NLA Act afford the authority and the government the exclusive right and license to operate lottery services in Ghana. The law, he explained, takes into account the appropriate requirement needed for the operation of a lotto business. Therefore, any activity in contravention with the law is considered as illegal and demands the right punitive action as enshrined in the said act. According to him any individual or group that engages in the any form of lotto business without due approval from the NLA,  is likely to face the full rigours of the law when caught, hence the need for public cooperation to rid off such miscreants whose activities dents the image of the NLA. As an interventionary measure to curtail the menace, NLA had restructured its plans and policies, thereby introducing the automation system to replace the manual system of operation. Mr. Dassah noted that the emergence of the new system which is now dispensed by digitized machines would help create employment opportunities for the youth which will in turn help bring sanity into the business. It will also take over the manual coupons where receivers relied on booklets to serve customers and stakers.  The NLA, he further stated, is one of the major contributors to the national purse and would leave no stone unturned to maximize profit returns to the state. Moreover, the intended police swoop forms part of measures aimed at streamlining the lotto business in the country. He indicated that efforts would be intensified to ensure that the brisk lotto business was nipped in the bud. Mr Dassah said the doors of the NLA is opened to all ‘banker to banker operators’ to be agent of the authority and urged them to register with the authority. He announced that acquisition of the automated machine newly introduced by NLA attracts no fee and encouraged the banker to banker operators in the region to complement the effort of NLA to rake more revenue for the development of the nation.

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