NLA gives lotto operators six months to legalize operations

pulse-ghana admin

June 16, 2017 3:25 PM

A six-month ultimatum has been set for all lotto operators in Ghana to comply with regulations

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The National Lotteries Authority (NLA) has petitioned lotto operators all over the country to legalize their operations in the six months or risk legal action.

Kofi Osei Ameyaw, Director General of the NLA says operators should take advantage of the period to formally certify all operations.

According to the National Lotto Act, 2006 and Lottery Regulation 2008, it is illegal for any person or group of individuals to undertake lotto operations without the prior approval of authority.

Mr. Ameyaw expressed the willingness of the authority to help customers through the process smoothly if they visit their offices.

“The doors are open for us to see how they can come in within the law for us to work with them so they can operate legally and make contributions through taxation as they are supposed to bring to the nation.”He threatened that should anyone fail to register with them officially past the six-month death, the law would deal with such persons drastically. At the back of lotto litigations, eleven courts were set up in June to deal with cases involving the authority.

The courts include circuit courts one and eight in Accra, circuit courts B in Tema and Koforidua, circuit court 4 in Kumasi, circuit court A in Sunyani, circuit court one in Cape Coast, and circuit courts in Takoradi, Ho, Tamale and Wa.

The lotto-related offences established under the National Lotto Act include offences in relation to a coupon contrary to section 19 of the Act, which criminalizes the manufacturing, distribution, selling, offering or displaying for sale coupons in contravention of Section 18(2) of the Act, and offences in relation to the National Lotto draw and foreign lottery contrary to sections 27 and 29 of the Act.

pulse-ghana admin