Lotto Operators Okay With NLA-Approved License Fee Of GHC1 Million

Private lotto operators, popularly called Banker-to-Banker Operators, and their agents have lauded the National Lottery Authority (NLA) for taking steps to streamline private lottery business in Ghana.

The Banker-to-Banker operators say they fully support the license fee of GHS1 million for private lotto operators approved by the Board of NLA.

More than 400 stakeholders in the private lottery business on Tuesday agreed at a meeting to comply with the new licensing regime which they believe will regularize private lottery activities.

“Instead of paying Five Million Ghana Cedis as license fees to operate the whole Country, the NLA has drastically reduced the license fees to One Million Ghana Cedis,” he said in a press release after the stakeholder meeting.

The newly formed Ghana National Chamber of Licensed Banker to Banker Lotto Operators and Agents, the umbrella body for private lotto operators, was founded by Mr Frank Adjei and has about 200 lotto agents, 170 lotto sub-agents and over 150, 000 lotto writers across Ghana.

In the press statement, published below, they raised a number of concerns that needed to be addressed urgently, among them the arrest of Nigerians, Chinese and other foreign nationals who are illegally operating lotto business in Ghana.

Read the full press statement below.
Press Conference: Tuesday, 22nd May 2018​

Ghana National Chamber of Licensed Banker to Banker Lotto Operators and Agents Support the License Fees of One Million Ghana Cedis

The Ghana National Chamber of Licensed Banker to Banker Lotto Operators and Agents under the leadership of Mr. Frank Adjei(Founder/Leader) fully support the License Fees of One Million Ghana Cedis for Private Lotto Operators approved by the Board of NLA.

The Ghana National Chamber of Licensed Banker to Banker Lotto Operators and Agents founded by Mr. Frank Adjei has about 200 Lotto Agents, 170 Lotto Sub-Agents and over 150, 000 Lotto Writers across Ghana. This is the largest and strongest Banker to Banker Lotto Group in Ghana. Mr. Frank Adjei was the first Lotto Operator in Ghana to pay the One Million Ghana Cedis to the NLA as License Fees on 15th March 2018.

The Board of NLA ordered the Leaders for all the various groups of Banker to Banker Lottery to submit their proposals to the NLA for discussion in order to finalize the License fees for the Operators, Agents and Writers of Banker to Banker Lottery. Mr. Frank Adjei was the only Lotto Operator who suggested the least amount of money (GHC 200, 000) as a nationwide license fees for Private Lotto Operators to the Board of NLA. All the other Lotto Operators and Agents who are now attacking Kofi Osei-Ameyaw and NLA over the One Million Ghana Cedis as License Fees suggested the highest amount of GHC 500, 000 per Region as License Fees for Private Lotto Operators to the Board of NLA.

Honestly speaking, the Lotto Operators and Agents who are now attacking Kofi Osei-Ameyaw over the One Million Ghana Cedis are not been truthful to themselves, the media, Government and Ghanaians in general because if NLA has agreed to accept the GHC 500,000 License Fees per Region as suggested by these Lotto Operators and Agents at the NLA Board Meeting, then it means that every Lotto Operator who want to operate nationwide was supposed to pay Five Million Ghana Cedis to the NLA as License Fees.

Instead of paying Five Million Ghana Cedis as license fees to operate the whole Country, the NLA has drastically reduced the license fees to One Million Ghana Cedis. We have to be grateful to Kofi Osei-Ameyaw and the Board of NLA over this decision but some people are rather destroying the reputation of Kofi Osei-Ameyaw over the One Million Ghana Cedis.

The Ghana National Chamber of Licensed Banker to Banker Lotto Operators and Agents would like to use this opportunity to commend Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, Director-General of National Lottery Authority for taking pragmatic steps to register and license the Operators, Agents and Writers of Banker to Banker Lottery under the Public-Private Partnership in accordance with the National Lotto Act, 2006(Act 722).

The Ghana National Chamber of Licensed Banker to Banker Lotto Operators and Agents under the leadership of Mr. Frank Adjei is ever ready and very determined to partner the National Lottery Authority and every Government to realize the vision of creating jobs and maximizing revenue for socio-economic development.

However, the leadership of Ghana National Chamber of Licensed Banker to Banker Lotto Operators and Agents would like to urge the Board of NLA as a matter of urgency to address the following concerns in order to strengthen the operations and administration of the National Lottery Authority:

1. The NLA should arrest Nigerians, Chinese and other foreign nationals who are operating Lotto business in Ghana especially the foreign nationals operating Banker to Banker Lottery. We are urging the NLA and Ghana Police Service to arrest and prosecute Vitarex Odele(populary Known as Olembe), a Nigerian who is illegally operating Lotto Business in the Brong-Ahafo Region. This is highly unacceptable. No foreigner is permitted to operate any form of Lottery in Ghana under the National Lotto Act, 2006(Act 722).

2. We are expecting the Board to be proactive and come up with measures, action plan and policies towards arresting the recalcitrant Ghanaian Lotto Operators, Agents and Writers who are refusing to pay the License fees to the National Lottery Authority.

3. That, the 6pm to 6:30pm Draw is negatively affecting the operations of Lotto business, finances of Lotto Marketing Companies, LMCB2B and subsequently reducing the revenue of the National Lottery Authority. We would like to appeal to the NLA to consider drawing between 6:50pm to 7pm. This will enable more people to stake Lotto from both the Lotto Marketing Companies and LMCB2B.

4. We would like to urge the Board of NLA to speed up the process of issuing the LMCB2B License Certificate to Mr. Frank Adjei as quickly as possible since he has fully paid his License Fees of One Million Ghana Cedis to the National Lottery Authority on 15th March 2018.

5. The Ministry of Finance should empower Kofi Osei-Ameyaw to embark on nationwide tour to clarify issues, doubts and conspiracy theories against the operations and management of the Lotto business in Ghana especially the procedures for acquiring license to operate lottery in Ghana. President Akufo-Addo and Ministry of Finance should fully support Kofi Osei-Ameyaw to succeed at the National Lottery Authority.

…..Signed…..
Mr. Frank Adjei
(Founder/Leader & Executive Chairman)