The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has put a temporary freeze on its clampdown on Private Lotto Operators (PLOs) until August 28, 2024.
This decision comes after a meeting between the NLA and representatives of the Ghana Lotto Operators Association (GLOA) on August 14, 2024.
In a statement, the NLA’s Director General, Sammi Awuku was directed by the Board to grant the PLOs a temporary reprieve to allow them to comply with the licensing regime under the National Lotto Act 2006, (Act 722) Lottery Regulations 2008, (L.I. 1948), and the Veterans Administration Ghana (VAG) 2012, (Act 844).
The move is seen as a significant development in the ongoing saga between the NLA and PLOs.
The NLA had previously taken a hardline stance against PLOs, accusing them of operating illegally and threatening to shut down their operations.
However, the GLOA had argued that its members were operating within the confines of the law and had challenged the NLA’s authority to clamp down on their operations.
The temporary freeze is expected to provide a window of opportunity for PLOs to regularize their operations and comply with the relevant regulations.
It remains to be seen whether the PLOs will take advantage of this opportunity to avoid any future crackdown by the NLA.
The development has been welcomed by industry stakeholders, who see it as a positive step towards finding a lasting solution to the impasse between the NLA and PLOs.
BY Daniel Bampoe