The Greater Accra branch of the Association of Lotto Marketing Companies (ALMC) has broken ranks with the Concerned Lotto Marketing Companies on the issue of KGL Technology Limited, the online lotto operators.
The association endorsed the operations of KGL whose operations the Concerned Lotto Marketing Companies has continued to kick against.
In a joint statement signed by Andrew Ofori Kwarteng and James Bastine, Regional Secretary and Financial Secretary respectively, the group pointed out “that the reason adduced by the Concerned Lotto Marketing Companies is untenable since our National Executives are already in talks with the current Management of the NLA in a bid to introduce measures based on proposals they have submitted to them, which include some innovations that will ensure that as Lotto Marketing Companies, we shall continue to be in business whose prospects look very good for our members.”
KGL Technology Limited, the statement pointed out, “is a lotto marketing company, which has been granted licence by the Board of the NLA under the lotto Act 2006 (Act 722) to operate online lotto, so therefore, it is permitted by law to operate as such.”
They said, “The major problem confronting the NLA and the Lotto Marketing Companies is rather the massive encroachment by the Banker-to-Banker operators, their agents and writers who have covered 75% of NLA market for so many years with impunity and not paying anything to the state regulator.”
Continuing, the association noted that under the so-called licences they claim to have obtained from the NLA, the amount they are paying to the state actor is insignificant when compared to what the KGL has paid within a year of its existence.
The association cautioned that unless something is done now the Banker-to-Banker illegality would collapse the state lotto regulator.
The introduction of the electronic sales mechanism *959# powered by KGL for the 5/90 game was informed by the dangers posed by the Banker-to-Banker illegality, the statement went on.
“We are calling on the government, the NLA and the media to disregard the Concerned Lotto Marketing Companies becaue they are not acting in the interest of the state,” adding that its policy is to help the state regulator “to promote policies and programmes that would ensure an integrated growth where the Authority would grow together with all its stakeholders including all the LMCs without any hindrance must be supported.”
The group emphasised that “KGL is not the one destroying the business of Lotto Marketing Companies but rather the increasing operations of Banker-to-Banker lottery.”
By A.R. Gomda