Kofi Osei Ameyaw
The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has directed that the GTV Live Draw and short code operated by Alpha Lotto Limited should cease forthwith.
This, according to an NLA statement, is because they are illegal “and in total breach of the laws governing the lottery industry. The authority shall take steps to address the illegal short code and Live Draw by Alpha Lotto Limited.”
The statement emphasized that “we would like to use this opportunity to caution and instruct Alpha Lotto Limited and GTV to stop the Live Draw with immediate effect.”
Alpha Lotto Limited has also been directed to halt the operations of its short code for 5/90 because it is illegal.
The authority has also cautioned the public, patrons of its products and services including the media that the only operational and functional official short code of the NLA is *959#.
Other platforms operating digital lottery short codes, the NLA emphasized, were fraudulent and illegal.
A lot of investment has gone into the development and running of the official short code of NLA, *959#, the statement stressed.
The only licenced online lotto marketing company that operated the *959# on behalf of NLA was KGL Technology Limited, the statement stressed.
The public and other stakeholders, the NLA urged, should play NLA 5/90 through the authority’s point of sale terminals across the country, and through the only digital lottery platform of NLA, *959#.
Alpha Lotto later issued a statement insisting that it is not part of the list of lottery operators being labelled by the NLA as illegal and said they have the right permit to operate.