Lotto Business Reserved Solely for the State - Director

Mr Alex Baafour-Gyimah, Acting Director of the Department of National Lotteries (DNL), said on Monday that private lotto operators should not have been allowed to operate in a game reserved for the state.

"As a department, authorised by an act of parliament to be the sole operator of national lotteries, the time has come for that sole responsibility to be re-established."

Mr Baafour-Gyimah told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra: "I will challenge anybody to come out with evidence that shows that private lotto operators have the right to participate in lotto business."

He said however, that they have been allowed to operate for long and have therefore, acquired a lot of skills. This experience, should not be thrown away. "Instead of coming out with the argument that private lotto operators have contributed money into the nation's coffers, they should rather make suggestions that would allow them to work with the DNL harmoniously."

He said the passing of the Gaming Bill 2002 would automatically repeal PNDC law 223, which gave the district assemblies the authority to operate private lotteries.

He added that since the Board would review the licensing of the lotteries annually, it is likely that if certain conditions are met, DNL would not be the sole operator in the lottery business.