The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has shut down the short code *896# operated by Alpha Lotto Limited.
It carried the exercise in collaboration with the National Communications Authority (NCA).
Alpha Lotto Limited was duly licensed by NLA under Act 844 to operate lotto via Point of Sale Terminals regulated by Act 722.
However, according to a statement from the NLA, the company started operating in breach of the Terms and Conditions of the License issued to it by the Authority.
“There are different classes of licenses that are issued by NLA. We have companies that have been licensed by NLA to operate lotto via USSD (Short Code) and Web.”
“Lotto Marketing Companies and Private Lotto Operators including Alpha Lotto Limited were licensed by NLA to operate lotto via Point of Sale Terminals,” the statement issued by the Public Relations Unit of NLA explained.
The lottery authority insisted that the license of Alpha Lotto Limited issued under Act 844 “never covered the operations of Short Code”.
“All companies licensed by NLA have no right to operate new games and conduct independent lotto draws without a draw committee fully constituted by NLA in accordance with the laws. It is important to also state that, the National Lottery Authority (NLA) has officially written to the Director General of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to indefinitely suspend the illegal Lotto Draws of Alpha Lotto Limited with immediate effect.”
“It is the hope of NLA that management of GBC/GTV will respect and enforce the directives of the National Lottery Authority by stopping the telecast of the illegal Lotto Draws of Alpha Lotto Limited as soon as possible to avoid being sued by NLA. The National Lottery Authority(NLA) is cautioning the Private Lotto Operators and their Agents to operate within the Terms and Conditions of their respective licenses.”
