NLA pursues unlicensed lotto operators

The National Lottery Authority (NLA) says it will from Monday, November 1, begin to arrest unlicensed lotto operators in the country.

The authority, in a statement, explained that the exercise had become necessary following the completion of the licensing regime for private operators for the year 2021/22.

“NLA wishes to announce the completion of the licensing regime of all operators of private lotto (OPL) for the 2021/2022 licensing year in accordance with the previously communicated deadline of Friday 29th October 2021.

“Effective 1st November 2021, NLA in collaboration with the security services will undertake exercises to arrest all unlicensed lotto operators,” it said.

It also mentioned that the authority will also prosecute the said offenders.

On October 14, this year, the authority under the leadership of Sammi Awuku, announced the beginning of the registration exercise, adding that the move is part of its measures to sensitise the lotto industry in the country.

He said this will also help generate revenue to support the government in its national development agenda.

Unlicensed lotto operation has bedeviled both authorities and lotto players in Ghana for decades. Although it is popularly known as “banker to banker” owing to unlicensed operators’ tendency to promise lotto-winning numbers, the problems go far beyond that.

For instance, as a result of being unlicensed, operators cannot guarantee winners their prize monies.