Staff of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), under the banner of the Financial and Business Services Employees Union (FBSEU of NLA), have issued a passionate appeal to the government to intervene in what they describe as a deliberate private takeover of the state-owned lottery business.
In a formal petition addressed to the Office of the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, and copied to the newly appointed Director General of the NLA, the union has called for an immediate suspension and review of all third-party contracts and licenses awarded to Private Lotto Operators (PLOs) over the past six years.
According to the union, these agreements breach the National Lotto Act, 2006 (Act 722), and have precipitated a sharp financial downturn and operational setbacks at the NLA. The once-profitable Authority has seen a steady decline in revenue, particularly from its Point of Sale Terminals (POSTs), since the integration of private operators into the market.
The union estimates that the NLA has lost nearly 50% of its market share, with an estimated GH₵250 million in revenue shortfalls recorded between 2017 and 2024. This sharp decline has triggered widespread layoffs among Lotto Marketing Companies (LMCs), key stakeholders who have traditionally underpinned NLA’s on-ground operations.
At the heart of the controversy is KEED Ghana Limited (KGL), operators of the NLA’s 5/90 online games. The union alleges that KGL’s operations violate the functions of a Lotto Marketing Company as outlined in Act 722. They cite concerning practices such as keeping lottery proceeds in private accounts, independently paying out winnings, and withholding vital financial data from the Authority.
In a startling revelation, the union claims that the previous NLA Board granted KGL an exclusive 25-year license to operate online lotto, a move they deem both shocking and detrimental to the NLA’s autonomy.
Other companies named in the petition include Bluestar Lotto, Alpha Lotto, and Luma Technologies. The union alleges that these firms were wrongly introduced as technical service providers, only to be granted licenses to operate as PLOs. Consequently, the NLA has been left with obsolete infrastructure and has witnessed the exit of long-standing LMCs.
The union is calling for the reconstitution of a new Governing Board composed of individuals with institutional memory and a clear mandate to restore transparency and competitiveness in the lottery sector.
Warning of looming industrial action, the union has vowed to “stop at nothing” to safeguard the NLA’s future and ensure its sustainability for national development and staff welfare — including protests or suspension of lotto draws if no concrete action is taken.
The petition signals growing discontent within the NLA and serves as a clarion call for immediate reforms to restore the integrity of Ghana’s lottery industry.
