Lotto Operators Cry Over Irregularities in The System

A group calling itself Concerned Lotto Agents Association of Ghana (CLAAG) is threatening to hit the streets in protest if government fails to correct some perceived illegalities that have ingulfed the sector.

The group are up in arms with the National Lottery Authority (NLA) for demanding from private lotto operators what they refer to as an outrageous GH¢1 million for registration and another GH¢5000 as insurance guarantee for operators who want to operate nationwide.

In an interview with the PUBLISHER, the Executive Secretary for CLAAG, Kwaku Duah- Tawiah said they suspect something ‘fishy’ cooking up at the NLA adding that the there is no proper documentation of monies collected and neither is there a comprehensive agreement plan for the private operators after they have paid for the said registration fee.

“We have the NLA calling some of our members on phone―harassing and threatening them to pay the registration fee or have their licence revoked by the end of August,” he said.

Mr. Duah-Tawiah continued: “It is not a proper administration process and we think they are doing all these at the blind sight of the government. As it stands we do not know how much to pay for a renewal when our licence expires.”

Jilted

CLAAG in another vein feels ‘used’ and ‘dumped’ by the present government and are obviously peeved like a jilted lover.

According to them, the NPP government had assured them of a smooth lotto operation if they (private operators) voted massively for them (NPP) in the 2016 elections.

“They won the elections and we the private operators are suffering but government has turned a deaf ear to our cry,” Mr. Tawiah said.

He therefore urged the government to remember its campaign promise to the CLAAG and put its searchlight on the NLA to regulate their ‘sinister games’ and ensure sanity in the system.

“We want to bring to the attention of NLA and government that if they continue to remain silent on these matters, we the CLAAG would have no option but to advise ourselves and protect our jobs which is our right”. He added.

In Ghana, there are over 1000 lotto agents and over one million lotto writers, the CLAAG secretary revealed.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]