The Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Mohammed Abdul-Salam, has announced a partnership with Fidelity Bank to roll out approximately 5,000 point-of-sale terminals to enhance its operations.
Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee, Mr. Abdul-Salam addressed questions regarding the Authority’s sales and distribution.
He stated that measures have been put in place to generate more revenue and combat the activities of illegal lottery operators.
“Currently, we have some equipment marked as obsolete, so we plan to replace it with new point-of-sale machines.
“We have an arrangement with Fidelity Bank to deploy around 5,000 new point-of-sale terminals to enhance sales and revenue. We believe that in the coming year this will significantly improve our operations,” Mr. Abdul-Salam said.
In discussing how the Authority can address the decline in lotto revenue, Mr. Abdul-Salam mentioned that the NLA is seeking clarification from the Attorney General on an arrangement with the Coalition of Concerned Lotto Agents and Writers Association of Ghana (CLAAG) to eliminate illegal lottery operators.
“The structure of the Private Lotto Operators (PLOs) currently makes it difficult for us to control illegal lotto operators because some of these operators were involved in illegal activities before registering. Even after licensing them, some continue to operate unlawfully.
“As a result, we have entered into an arrangement with CLAAG and are consulting the Attorney General for clarification to ensure that all writers registered under the PLOs receive a sticker.
“Once the process is completed, enforcement agencies can ensure compliance by scanning the sticker with smart devices, making it easier to distinguish legitimate operators from illegal ones,” Mr. Abdul-Salam explained.
Mr. Abdul-Salam noted that there are areas where the NLA has no presence, creating fertile ground for illegal lottery operators.
He expressed confidence that, with the introduction of new point-of-sale terminals and the elimination of illegal operators, these machines will be made available for others to participate in the Authority’s operations.
The NLA expects to roll out these plans in the coming year to boost its operations.
