The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has responded to Management of Alpha Lotto denying their involvement in operating Illegal Lottery Short codes.
It would be recall that, NLA issued a Press Statement expressing great concerns about the illegal and fraudulent lottery short codes being operated in the system apart from its *595# Short Code.
It warned the public to be cautious in dealing with companies that are in such business, stating Alpha Lotto as one of them.
Meanwhile, management of Alpha Lotto in a response to NLA’s statement indicated that the company (Alpha Lotto” is “Not Among ‘NLA’s Illegal Lottery Operators.”
However, NLA in another Release stated categorically that “Alpha Lotto Limited was ONLY Licensed by NLA to operate Lotto under the Veterans Administration, Ghana Act, 2012(Act 844) dated 1st day of July 2020 regulated by Act 722.”
It said, Alpha Lotto Limited under the TERMS and CONDITIONS of the License issued by NLA to the Company has NO RIGHT to operate its OWN GAMES without Authorization from the National Lottery Authority (NLA) as the Regulator of the Lottery Industry and that “As it stands now, Alpha Lotto Limited has NO APPROVAL from NLA to operate its own games. There are processes, procedures, criteria and requirements an Operator must fulfill BEFORE it can operate its own games under strict compliance to the rules and regulations of the National Lottery Authority (NLA).”
The Public Relations Unit of NLA averred that Alpha Lotto Limited has NO RIGHT under the License issued to the Company to operate its own independent platform without approval from the National Lottery Authority (NLA) as the Regulator, explaining that every Licensed Operator under Act 844 is mandated to INTEGRATE its platform into the NLA’s Platform for Monitoring and supervision of their activities as part of the TERMS and CONDITIONS of the License issued.
“This would enable both parties to properly account for the Revenue Sharing Agreement in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the License issued to Alpha Lotto Limited and all Lotto Operators Licensed by NLA under Act 844,” it said.
“Alpha Lotto Limited has NO RIGHT under the TERMS AND CONDITIONS of its License under Act 844 to market its games through short code 896. Alpha Lotto Limited is seriously in breach of the Terms and conditions of its license under Act 844. There is nowhere in the Agreement that Alpha Lotto Limited can market its games through short code.”
NLA also pointed out that there is nowhere in the agreement that Alpha Lotto Limited can conduct its own independent Draw without supervision from the National Lottery Authority (NLA), pointing out that as part of the agreement, Terms and Conditions of the license issued under Act 844, a Draw Committee must be constituted by the NLA to monitor all Draws. So far no Draw Committee has been constituted by NLA to supervise the Draws of Alpha Lotto Limited.
“We would like to state again that, Alpha Lotto Limited has NO LEGAL RIGHTS under Act 844, the license issued to the Company by NLA to market independent lottery products using digital devices (end-to-end). The Authority would like to caution Alpha Lotto Limited to operate within the Terms and Conditions of its License issued under Act 844 and stop hiding behind its license under Act 844 to operate illegal services as well as misinforming the general public.”
NLA further cautioned Alpha Lotto Limited to cease the LIVE DRAW on GTV, and Stop the operation of the digital short code *896# with immediate effect and failure to comply with the directives of the Authority would attract the necessary sanctions including revocation of the company’s license under Act 844.
By PROSPER KAY AGBENYEGA
