NLA To Clamp Down on Illegal Lotto Operators In Ashanti Region
The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has announced plans to descend on illegal Lotto operators in the Ashanti region after next Tuesday.
The Authority seeks to replicate in the region its enforcement tools in the Greater Accra region.
This was disclosed by the Director-General of the NLA, Sammi Awuku on the sidelines of a duty tour by Board members at the Manhyia Palace on Tuesday, December 13, 2022.
Manufacturing, distributing, selling or retailing lotto products and services without authorization from the National Lottery Authority is unlawful under Act 722 and L.I. 1948.
Courtesy Call
For the first time since the inauguration of Board members of the NLA in 2021, they were introduced to Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Among the delegation included Togbe (Hon) Francis Albert Seth Nyonyo, the Chairman of the Board as well as the Deputy Director-General of the Authority, Anna Horma Miezeh.
The King was also informed about the 60th anniversary of the Authority.
Reporting on the various activities of the NLA, the Authority said its Good Course Foundation has touched the lives of over 200,000 people and over 80 communities since its establishment last year.
Illegal Lottery
The leadership of the delegation informed the King about plans to combat illegal lottery and promote responsive gaming specifically in the Ashanti region.
“We informed him (Otumfuo) about the activities of illegal operators in the Ashanti region which are hampering ours. Such operators are evading taxes”, the Director-General told the media.
He called on illegal lotto operators to take advantage of the moratorium put in place in the region for registration.
“If you haven’t yet registered, there is an opportunity. The deadline is next Tuesday. Take a form at our regional office. If you want to operate in the region, it comes at a special cost and if you want to operate across the country, that also has its cost.”
He noted that a clamp-down action will be taken against illegal operators after the deadline.
According to him, a similar clampdown has been in motion in the Greater Accra Region over the last three weeks “to rid out the activities of illegal operators”.
In such a clampdown, all unregistered operators will have their shops shut, their equipment seized and then prosecuted.
Additionally, he expressed concerns about online lottery scams.
“We have thought about it and we are worried. Together with the National Security operative: National Communication Authority, National Cyber Bureau, and National Signals Bureau of National Security we are working on it. We have already arrested many of them.”
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
