The National Lottery Authority
The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has denied that they are scheming for KGL Technology Limited to monopolise its platforms.
The state lottery regulator and player in the industry was reacting to a press conference last Tuesday by the Ghana Lotto Operators Association (GLOA), which accused it of making overtures to have the KGL Technology Limited take over its operations using its connections in the corridors of power.
“There is no policy for KGL Technology Limited to take over from NLA. The Minister of Finance, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, also confirmed this during his vetting at the Appointments Committee of Parliament,” the NLA pointed out in a statement reacting to the claims by the private operators.
The GLOA claim that a monopoly is being created for KGL Technology in the gaming industry should be disregarded by the media and the public, the NLA entreated.
Delving further into the issues raised by the GLOA, the NLA stated that Keed Ghana Limited is not the same as KGL Technology Limited in terms of operations.
“Keed Ghana Limited is duly licensed by the NLA to operate a dividend-based game on behalf of NLA known as Lucky 3 with an official short code of *987#,” it said, adding that KGL Technology on the hand “is an online lotto marketing company duly licensed by the NLA to operate the 5/90 Original Lotto on behalf of the Authority with the official short of *959#.”
“The allegations by GLOA against KGL Technology Limited, Keed Ghana Limited and Mr. Alex Dadey are all lies, frivolous and baseless,” the NLA pointed out.
The partnership between NLA and KGL Technology Limited according to the authority “is a game changer, and a million times profitable to NLA unlike the licences issued to members of the Ghana Lotto Operators Association, including Alpha Lotto Limited,” the authority said.
KGL Technology Limited, according to the NLA, is not indebted by GH¢20 million as claimed by the GLOA, adding that KGL Technology is a wholly-owned Ghanaian company with no political attachments and has over time contributed to the revenue mobilisaion drive of the NLA.
“Therefore, the attempts by GLOA to link KGL Technology Limited to government appointees are quite unfortunate and it needs to be totally ignored,” the NLA stated.
The statement said that it is rather the GLOA whose conduct is threatening its 30-year-old impasse resolution with the regulator and not the latter.
Members of the GLOA have been engaged in a running feud with the NLA following the outlawing of an aspect of their licences by the regulator.
GLOA maintains its position that the NLA is acting arbitrarily, but the regulator points out that it is acting within its mandate.
By A.R. Gomda