National Lottery Authority (NLA) has announced that the commission for lotto writers will be increased to 25 percent, up from the previous 20 percent, effective at the end of August 2024, as stated by the Board Chairman, Gary Nimako Marfo.

In addition to this commission hike, the NLA has relaunched its Caritas Lottery platform.

This platform is designed to boost public trust in lottery promotions and combat fraud by enabling organizations and individuals to conduct legitimate lottery promotions to enhance their business operations.

This adjustment, approved by the NLA Board, follows a petition from lotto writers who requested a higher commission due to economic hardships.

Mr. Nimako clarified that the new commission rate will be exclusively available to licensed lotto companies and issued a warning to unlicensed operators, stating that the NLA will intensify its efforts to crack down on them, especially as the 2024 election approaches.

Mr. Nimako clarified that “the new 25% commission applies only to lotto companies licensed by the NLA. The NLA would intensify its crackdown on illegal lotto operators, particularly as the 2024 election year approaches.”

Mr. Nimako went ahead to warn illegal operators who seek protection from high-ranking party and government officials that the current Board and management would not yield to such interventions.

The NLA has faced financial challenges in recent years, recording a loss of GH¢788,818 in 2020 and a more significant loss of GH¢17.1m (GH¢17,148,582) in 2021.

However, under the current Director General, Samuel Awuku, the authority has made a turnaround, posting profits of GH¢2.5m and GH¢2.6m.

This recovery followed a substantial increase in miscellaneous income, which rose from GH¢35.54 million in 2020 to GH¢133.45 million in 2023.

The NLA also generates income from Nigeria and Ivory Coast, where its draw results are used for local lotteries, demonstrating its regional influence.

Mr. Awuku revealed that “a task force including security personnel and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) officials will be conducting operations against illegal lotto operators.

According to him, despite the estimated GH¢1.8 billion yearly value of Ghana’s lotto industry, the NLA captures only about GH¢800 million, while illegal operators take in over GH¢1 billion annually.

“We believe this is an opportunity for NLA to promote the benefits of lottery and diffuse misconceptions and stigma, “he mentioned.

The NLA’s recent measures reflect its dedication to cleaning up the lottery industry and restoring public trust.

Mr. Awuku highlighted that out of approximately 700 illegal lotto companies, primarily in rural areas, only about 20 are officially registered with the NLA.

He also pointed out that many of these illegal operators are significant financial backers of Ghana's two major political parties.

He emphasized the need to prevent political interference in the NLA’s revenue generation activities and ensure that regulations are enforced consistently across all operators.

He also mentioned that past political divisions within the NLA had led to staff dissatisfaction and decreased productivity.