Presentation By The Director-General Of The National Lottery Authority, Mr Samuel Awuku, at the State of Specified entities report briefing

By Justice Dzido On Apr 5, 2023

OUTLINE

Introduction
Vision & Mission
Objectives
Games
Achievements
Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

The National Lottery Authority (NLA) was established by the National Lotto Act, 2006 (Act 722) to operate National Lotto, regulate, supervise, conduct, and manage National Lotto, and provide for related matters.

VISION

To become the organization of Choice and Blueprint for Lottery in Africa

MISSION

To create moments of Hope and Happiness through exciting Lottery Games that generate Revenue for National Development and make all Stakeholders ultimate Winners

OBJECTIVES FOR ESTABLISHING NLA

To raise revenue for the nation and for other purposes stated in the National Lotto Act

As the institution to conduct National Lotto

To conduct, as part of the operation of National Lotto, a lotteryto provide care and protection for the physically or mentally afflicted, the needy, the aged, orphans, and destitute children.

To operate a game of chance or enter into collaboration, partnership, or joint venture with any person, society, association, or corporate entity in accordance with existing laws.

GAMES

The NLA has seven daily Games played every day of the week (Games listed on slide)
Our Lotto Marketing Companies or Retailers sell our Games
We havelicensed Third-Party Collaborators like KGL Group, Wotriye, Daywa and Super 6, who operate our Games online
We have also licensed Private Lotto Operators (PLOs) to operate

THREE MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

We have many achievements but for the purposes of this presentation, we will stick to three.

The y are

Global Recognition
Stabilizing And Raising Revenue
Revitalizing Our Caritas Lottery Platform And Good Causes Foundation

GLOBAL RECOGNITION – PUTTING NLA ON THE MAP

Reconnecting with the African Lotteries Association (ALA) – One of the first things we did was together with Management, embark on trips toneighbouring countries like Ivory Coast to find out what they were doing differently to boost their revenue, learn from them and incorporate it into our operations. We noticed that in communities all over the country, there was a project sponsored by proceeds from the lottery, and we sought to implement same.

Mr. Dramane Coulibaly, the Director-General of the Loterie Nationale de Cote d’Ivoire (LONACI), also doubles as the President of the African Lotteries Association(ALA). Ileveraged this to get the NLA back into the Association after being kicked out a couple of years ago for non-payment of dues and not conforming to some regulations.

The NLA is now a member of ALA and is working on its Certification for Responsible Gaming. I also visited Nigeria to meet Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila, the Director General of the National Lottery Regulatory Council, to discuss the payment of royalties to Ghana, since they have been for using our draw Numbers for the past twenty five years.

These trips indeed yielded results that I will go into and discuss further when I get to our second achievement, Raising Revenue.

In May 2022, at an ALA Seminar in Morrocco, I put in a bid to host the Seminar on Responsible Gaming in December 2022 and after aggressively making this push, NLA won the bid.

Again, in October 2022, in Vancouver, Canada, at the World Lottery Association Conference, I got the opportunity to meet with the leadership of the World Lottery Association (WLA)and invited the President,Madam Rebecca Paul and the General Secretary of WLA, Madam Lynne Roiter to the NLA @ 60 Grand Durbar and they graciously agreed to attend the event.

Until 2006,NLA was known as the Department of National Lotteries (DNL).DNL was birthed with the assistance of the Maltese Government, who seconded a Maltese Official, Mr. William Francis Brennan, to Ghana to help Ghana set up a lottery institution.

We could not have held this program without the blessing of its Mother Authority in Malta. Therefore, in November 2022, some Board members and Management Staffvisited Malta to invite the Maltese Government and the Malta Gaming Authority to the Grand Durbar for our 60^th Anniversary.

With the assistance of the Maltese High Commissioner to Ghana, H. E. Jean Clude Gallea Mali and Ghana’s High Commisioner to Malta, Her Excellency, Barbara Benisa, we met the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Anġlu Farrugia, who handed over the 1962 Act that established the DNL. The Maltese Government also sent representatives to attend the Grand Durbar and presented the original appointment letter of Mr. William Francis Brennan, the seconded Public Official and first Director-General of NLA in 1962.

Subsequently, the Maltese Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade visited the NLA during a visit to Ghana.

So, after 60 years, Ghana reconnected to Malta and the NLA to its mother Authority. This has renewed the ties between our two authorities and the NLA is seeking to benefit from the wealth of experience of the Maltese who have been operating for the past One hundred years.

We hosted the ALA Seminarat the Dome of the Conference Centre. We had boothsfor some exhibitors to display their wares, their products and services. The Seminar brought together leaders and guests from over 20 lottery bodies in Africa, Europe and North America to Ghana. This coincided with NLA’s 60^th Anniversary Celebration, that took place in December 2022. The four-day event from 7^th December 2022 to 10^th December 2022 included the Seminar on Responsible Gaming, the NLA @ 60 Grand Durbar, a trip to the Coast Castle and some Unwinding in the Capital.

OurGrand Durbar was attended by the Hon. Chief of Staff, Mrs. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, His Honour, Justice Yonny Kulendi, who represented His Lordship the Chief Justice of the Republic, Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, Honourable Ministers of State, Honourable Members of Parliament, our Revered Chiefs, Partner Banks, Lotto Marketing Companies, Private Lotto Operators, Third Party Collaborators, Stakeholders, our well-wishers, our African and World Lottery Association guests.

We were also privileged to have H.E. the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, our Special Guest of honour, press the knob for the first winning number, allowing history to repeat itself 60 years ago when the then Prime Minister of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah pressed the knob for a prize of (GBP 5,000.00) won by a proud Ghanaian.

Hosting the ALA Seminar in Ghana did not only bring over one hundred global leaders of lottery to our country, most of whom were experiencing Ghana for the first time, but in doing so, we also contributed to Revenue, Tourism and the Hospitality Industry.

STABILIZING AND RAISING REVENUE

I met a debt of about Fifteen million Ghana Cedis (GHS 15,000.000.00) in unpaid wins on the assumption of office. As of now, we have cleared a greater part of the debt and we continue to make efforts together with Management to clear the outstanding debt.

We have developed the Instant Pay *389*1000# for players to instantly redeem wins of up to One Thousand Two Hundred Ghana Cedis (GHS 1,2000) after the Draw.

In partnership with our Corporate Lotto Marketing Companies (LMCs), we have also instituted Prize Payment Centers in our Regional offices nationwide for wins up to Twelve Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 12,000.00).

On the Renegotiated Deal with KGL -KGL Group’s contract with the Authority was at Twenty-Five million Ghana cedis (25,000,000.00) in 2021. Together with the NLA Governing Bard, we renegotiated the contract to Fifty-Five million Ghana cedis (GHS 55,000,000.00) in 2022, with Two million Ghana (GHS 2,00,000.00) Cedis supporting our Good Causes Foundation and Three million going into Stabilization Fund for our LMCs. In addition, we have renegotiated the deal to Sixty-Five million Ghana cedis (GHS 65,000,000.00) for 2023 as part of the partnership deal.

Exporting our Games to Other Countries for Royalties: My initial trips to Ivory Coast and Nigeria would now pay off as both countries will soon pay us royalties of Eighteen Million Ghana Cedis (GHS 18,000,000.00) and Thirteen Million Ghana Cedis (GHS 13,000,000.00)respectively, for drawing our Games online through KGL Group. This means we will receiveNinety-two Million Ghana Cedis (GHS 92, 0000,000.00) from KGL Group this year.

We have also begun engagements with Burkina Faso and Nigerto trade our games and collaborate with them.

Licensing of Private Lotto Operators (PLOs) – To sanitize the lottery space and generate revenue for National Development, I continued a process that my predecessor began, i.e. licensing Private Lotto Operators annually.

Operators who want to operate under the framework of the National Lotto Act, 2006 (Act 722) pay a sum of One million, five hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 1,500,000.00), while those who operate under the Veterans Administration Ghana Act, 2012 (Act 844) pay a sum of Five Hundred Thousand cedis since we have their franchise to operate their games.

In addition, PLOs are also required to pay a fixed figure to support our Good Causes Foundation.

Signing on New Collaborators – We have signed on new Third Party Collaborators to bring in more revenue and some innovative and exciting games.

Zeta Technologies

Blue Star Hi-Tech Company Limited

Fortune Synergy

We are also in talks with Supreme Ventures, the biggest lottery operators in the Caribbeans, together with their local partner who will introduce exciting new games that are not 5/90 in nature or form.

New Draw Machines – We expect New Draw Machines purchased according to the World Lottery Authority Standardsby the end of April to phase out our over 25-year-old Draw Machines.

We are also expected to launch our multiple draws by the first week of May.

Community Draws – Holding Community Draws demystify the myth surrounding the draw process and our games creates moments of excitement andtakes thedraw closer to the people to enable them to observe the process.
We would therefore hold Draws in the Morning, Afternoon and Evening

These have contributed to the improvement of revenue.

REVITALISING OUR CARITAS LOTTERY PLATFORM AND GOOD CAUSES FOUNDATION

The Caritas Lottery Platform was established in 2012 to regulate consumer promotions, games of chance, raffles or draws by companies, individuals and well-meaning Ghanaians.

Having lost its verve, wedecided to re-launch the brand. This was done on 20^th October 2021 by the Chief of Staff, Hon. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare.

Also, in accordance with the advice of the Office of the Attorney General and Minister for Justice in August 2022, NLA once again regained the lost control as the sole statutory body, to the exclusion of all others to regulate all consumer promotional schemes with elements of chance (raffles, draws, points-based selection criteria, etc.).This in our view brings finality to the age-long tussle between the NLA and the Gaming Commission.

Using the Caritas Lottery Platform brings credibility to a company’s brand.

Proceeds from the Caritas Lottery Platform go into our Good Causes Projects.

We have many companies on board now, FMCGs, Banks, Private Companies, some of which are Gino, Ecobank, Fidelity Bank, Bolt Ghana, Bel Beverages, Kasapreko, Fanmilk, FBN Bank, Visa International, Rana Motors, Engbox and Melcom, among others.

GOOD CAUSES FOUNDATION

The Good Causes Foundation was also launched on 20^th October 2021.

It is the charity arm of the Authority, spearheading our Corporate Social Responsibility.

Section 2(3) of the National Lotto Act – stipulates that conduct, as part of the operation of National Lotto, a lottery to provide care and protection for the physically or mentally afflicted, the needy, the aged, orphans, and destitute children.

The foundation aims to develop, implement and maintain a structure based on four main pillars approved by the NLA Governing Board.

These Pillars include– Health, Education, Youth and Sports Development, Arts and Culture.

The Foundation got its seed money of Sixty Thousand Dollars ($ 60,000.00) from LONACI, Ivory Coast to set it up.

Some of the projects we have undertaken under the various Pillars are as follows:

Health

Medical Outreach in communities, Korle-Wokon, Somanya and Sunyani
Donation of Medical Equipment (incubators) to the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital in collaboration with the Kokrokoo Foundation and Hope Exchange Hospital in Kumasi
Refurbishment of Tema Polyclinic Recovery Ward, Koforidua Central Hospital Children’s Ward
Support for Weija Leprosarium, Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Bahass Foundation, Wa
Support to Individuals with Medical Ailments (Baby Selina with Spinal Bifida)
Sharing of sanitary towels for pupils in the Afigya Sekyere District

Education

Building of a Smart Lab for the Borstal Correctional Institute in Accra
Providing brilliant but needy students with scholarships
Refurbishing Schools – Mamfe Presby Primary School, Gonten Primary School
Establishing an IT Lab in collaboration with Ask Ghana for schools in the Agona West Municipality
Providing educational materials and equipment for some remote schools

Youth and Sports Development

Support of Government’s YouStart Program with Ten Million Ghana Cedis(GHS 10,000,000.00)in 2022 with a promise of an additional Ten Million Ghana Cedis this year.
Support to Youth of Adumasa through the Nana Serwaa Brakutu Humanitarian Fund- Beads Making and Dress Making
Support to Hasaacas Ladies with One Hundred Thousand Cedis

Arts and Culture

We continue to support our festivals through Arts and Culture Pillar

Celebration of our culture through Festivals and our Community Draws or with Cash Donations–Kwaku Obomeng, Hogbetsotso, Fetu Afehye, Nsawam Adoagyir Odwira, Homowo, among many others
Partnering with the Citi FM Heritage Caravan to celebrate our cultural heritage

General Support

And when it becomes necessary, even though it may not fall within our pillars, we try to support other areas.

They include:

Support to the people of Appiatse with GHS 100,000.00 during the explosion
Construction of Corn Milling Facility for the Gonten Community
Donation of office equipment to the Ghana Police Service
Support to the National Council on Persons with Disability
Construction of mechanized boreholes and toilet facilities across the country.

We invest in these projects to fulfil our statutory obligation, give back to the communities in which we operate, and let our patrons know that when you do notwin, your money supports national development.

CONCLUSION

Our three most significant achievementsform part of all the efforts by both Management and Staff to shape the narrative and arrive at this point. They have helped us achieve the following.

Revenue Improvement
Re-Building the image and brand of the Authority [Through the Good Causes Foundation, Regular Interaction with the Media]
Better Engagement with Internal and External Stakeholders
[Better cohesion between Staff and Management
Better cohesion between the Governing Board and Management
Better and Regular Engagements with LMCs, and PLOs]