He said the existing tax policies and the tax structure under the Akufo-Addo government was undermining the growth, performance and the revenues of private sector led businesses.

“In support of the position of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), the Government should consider the introduction of tax reliefs in the upcoming 2023 Mid-Year Budget Review as a means of cushioning the suffering and struggling businesses in the country.

“Importantly, the Ministry of Finance should remove the unnecessary 20 per cent and 10 per cent taxes imposed on the revenue of lottery marketing/sports betting companies and winnings respectively.”

Mr Ayeh Donkor noted that the Parliament of Ghana on March 31, 2023, passed the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill which President Akufo-Addo assented it into law.

He said among other things, the new income tax law re-introduced a 10 per cent tax on lottery winnings after it was successfully removed in 2017, and a new unacceptable 20 per cent tax on the revenue of Lottery and Sports Betting Companies.

This Mr Ayeh Donkor said was a very serious additional burden on the already over-taxed Private Companies in Ghana.

He said the threats by the Ghana Revenue Authority to close down all lottery/sports betting companies that fail to pay the 20 per cent and 10 per cent taxes on lottery and Sports betting was completely empty and shall be faced with serious resistance and demonstrations against the New Patriotic Party government.

“The government should not be allowed to use taxes to destroy private businesses resulting to high unemployment rate in the country,” Mr Ayeh Donkor added.

To offer convenience and accessibility, the industry is embracing digital platforms and mobile apps. This allows players to enjoy the lottery anytime and anywhere, enhancing their overall experience.

However, in Ghana, the industry is still in the early stages of adopting technology. It relies heavily on traditional methods, where people still visit kiosks to participate.

Despite attempts to introduce digital experiences, there hasn’t been a standout option until now with MEGA6 Lotto.

MEGA6 Lotto is a digital lottery brand that leverages digital tools and technological advancements to create an innovative lottery experience. It is available to every individual in Ghana above the age of 18 and users can play the game on the MEGA6 Lotto app, via USSD shortcode, or on our dedicated website.

Ghana has a growing population of tech-savvy individuals who rely on mobile apps and online platforms for various activities, including gaming and entertainment. MEGA6 Lotto’s mobile app and USSD shortcode options cater to this tech-savvy audience, offering convenience, privacy, and accessibility whenever they want to play.

MEGA6 Lotto aims to redefine lottery culture in Ghana by presenting it as a tool for upward mobility and a means to fund dreams and aspirations.

The brand represents the unity, resilience, and dedication of the Ghanaian people in their pursuit of financial independence. With just 6 numbers to choose between 1 and 49, MEGA6 Lotto provides higher odds of winning compared to other lotto stakes, and it offers the biggest jackpot win. With as little as two cedis, the average Ghanaian can win up to one million cedis.

MEGA6 Lotto’s partnership with the National Lottery Authority (NLA), ensures adherence to local and international gaming best practices. The use of top-of-the-line GLI & GSA Certified SmartPlay Machines ensures fair and transparent draws, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to integrity.

Throughout history, lotteries have been used to contribute to society, such as the keno slips from the Chinese Han Dynasty that were used to finance the Great Wall of China.

MEGA6 Lotto differentiates itself by giving back to society through its earnings. MEGA6 Lotto is not just about big winnings; it’s also about giving back to society.

Meanwhile, every week, Mega6 lottery players empower Ghanaians to live out their dreams through the Mega 6 Impact fund.

It’s built a community that supports national development through gaming by dedicating a portion of proceeds towards nurturing exceptional talent in education, sports, and the creative arts.

By playing MEGA6 Lotto, Ghanaians have the opportunity to turn their dreams and those of others into reality.

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The members of the Association and the Chamber are also urging all private lotto operators and agents to cease the media war with the authority because it is inappropriate and improper to fight the regulator of the lottery industry.

A statement, signed by Dr Frank Adjei, Chairman of the Association and copied to the media on Wednesday, said the National Lottery Authority (NLA) is mandated by relevant laws to ensure that every individual and companies operating in the industry do so in accordance with the Act 722, L. I. 1948 and Section 22 of Act 844.

The statement said per the understanding of the contract between the NLA and all private lotto operators licensed under Act 844 regulated by Act 722 and L. I. 1948, it was:

“Never stated in the contract that Private Lotto Operators or Agent can organise independent Live Lotto Draws on TV without a composition of the Draw Committee properly set up by NLA.”

It again “never stated in the Contract that a Private lotto Operator or Agent can operate Short Code for NLA VAG 5/90 Game.”

The statement said: “Only one license was issued to us, that is a license under Act 844, adding: “We were never issued an Act 722 license.”

It called on all members to support the NLA, the regulator of the lottery industry, saying, the collapse of the NLA will eventually collapse the whole industry including all private lotto operators, agents and writers.

“Let’s always try to adopt measures of dialogue and consensus-building with our Regulatory body, NLA, rather than always running to the media to fight and undermine them,” it said.

Some residents of Essam-Debiso in the Western region have decided to stake lotto with the number plate of the running mate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

This was when Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang‘s visited the area on Thursday to garner support for the NDC ahead of the 2020 election.

According to them, these number plates have become magic numbers for them over time.

They explain anytime former Presidents visit the area and they stake their number plates, they win, hence the decision to travel near and far to catch a glimpse of her number plate.

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Hundreds of people gathered around Prof. Opoku-Agyemang‘ SUV with the number GG 9070-18 to take pictures with the hope that it will work for them this time around.

A resident, who spoke to Adom News, said: “Anytime a former President comes to this area, we win the lotto, that is why people are rushing to take pictures and stake a lot today. We are confident that it will be the numbers.”

However, the day ended in tears for the residents as the results for the fortune Thursday came out as 24-47-43-76- 90.

Watch the residents in the video attached above:

According to the NLA, these lotto fraudsters and social media miscreants use radio stations, television stations, online platforms, Facebook, WhatsApp platforms and other channels such as text messages, email and telephone calls to dupe people.

The NLA said this in a press release.

Read the full release below:

NLA Cautions Public Against the Operations and Activities of Lotto Fraudsters

The National Lottery Authority(NLA) would like to caution the Public, Media Organizations and individuals not to fall victim to the operations and activities of lotto fraudsters who are using different platforms and communication strategies to dupe unsuspecting Ghanaians.

These Lotto fraudsters and social media miscreants use radio stations, television stations, Online platforms, Facebook, WhatsApp Platforms and other channels such as text messages, email and  telephone calls.

The lotto fraudsters and social Media miscreants have defrauded a lot of  unsuspecting people through several  Facebook accounts/pages, WhatsApp platforms and other social media handles they have created using the:

1. Name  and Logo of National Lottery Authority(NLA) in different formats.

2. Pictures of Hon. Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, the Director-General of the National Lottery Authority(NLA).

3. Pictures and images of  Staff

4. Imposters who dress as Staff of the Authority.

The lotto fraudsters and Social media miscreants  are able to convince greedy people who want to be rich overnight to make Mobile  Money Transfers to them in exchange for Winning Lotto Numbers.

The National Lottery Authority(NLA) would like to state categorically that:

1. It has NOT authorized nor appointed any individual or group of individuals to offer winning lotto numbers to the public. Lottery is a game of chance and it is very impossible to foretell winning numbers before draws.

2. the Authority does NOT have Facebook accounts/pages.

3. the Authority has NOT created any WhatsApp Groups.

4. the Authority does NOT have Twitter handle.

5. the Authority has NOT designed a Registration form for the public to register for winning Lotto numbers.

6. the outcome of draws are conducted in a very open and transparent manner and it is always open to the public for witnessing at 6:30pm daily for original 5/90 and 7:30am daily for NLA VAG Lotto except Sundays and public holidays.

7. It is absolutely false that NLA Staff,  lotto fraudsters and social media miscreants have access to winning lotto numbers.

8. Hon. Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, the Director-General of NLA is NOT on Facebook and other Social Media Platforms.

The National Lottery Authority(NLA) shall NOT be responsible for any losses incurred by unsuspecting people who are defrauded by these lotto fraudsters and social media miscreants.

The National Lottery Authority(NLA) would like to urge the Public to be more vigilant, avoid greed and discontinue engaging the services of the lotto fraudsters and social media miscreants.

Finally, we would like to appeal to the Ghana Police Service and other Security Agencies to help in curtailing the activities and operations of the lotto fraudsters and social media miscreants.

Issued by: Public Relations Unit of NLA

Director General of the NLA, Kofi Osei Ameyaw, speaking on Adom FM’s Morning Show, ‘Dwaso Nsem’ Thursday said the six-month ultimatum forms part of efforts to ensure that the state rakes in some tax revenue.

Under the National Lottery Act, 2006 and Lottery Regulation 2008, any person or group of individuals that undertake lotto operations without the prior approval of authority acts illegally.

Mr. Ameyaw called on all operators not complying with the National Lotto Act and regulations “to come in and make the necessary arrangements with us.”

“The doors are open for us to see how they can come in within the law for us to work with them so they can operate legally and make contributions through taxation as they are supposed to bring to the nation.”

“It is about national development. It is about building government. It is not about people making money and putting the money in their pocket whilst others are making it and paying their fair share of taxes and obeying the law,” he said.

Mr. Ameyaw warned that “after the six months, if they don’t comply with the law, then whatever penalty or sanctions the law require, we will take that.” Earlier in June, eleven lotto courts were inaugurated across the country to facilitate the prosecution of lotto-related offences.

The courts include circuit courts one and eight in Accra, circuit courts B in Tema and Koforidua, circuit court 4 in Kumasi, circuit court A in Sunyani, circuit court one in Cape Coast, and circuit courts in Takoradi, Ho, Tamale and Wa.

The lotto-related offences established under the National Lotto Act include offences in relation to a coupon contrary to section 19 of the Act, which criminalizes the manufacturing, distribution, selling, offering or displaying for sale coupons in contravention of Section 18(2) of the Act, and offences in relation to the National Lotto draw and foreign lottery contrary to sections 27 and 29 of the Act.

Lotto kiosks in the country, he said would also have formal and well branded structures which would be manned by persons who have regularised their activities with the NLA.

The visit by CLAAG stems from the call by Osei-Ameyaw to all lottery operators who are not licensed by NLA to come on board.

The Executive Secretary of CLAAG, Kwaku Duah-Tawiah stated that the over two hundred thousand lotto agents can contribute huge sums of revenue to the consolidated fund if they are properly regulated and provided with Point of Sale Terminals to work with.

Members of CLAAG, he mentioned are not nation wreckers and are willing to work with the Authority particularly on the Authority’s agenda to make its presence visible and accessible in every nook and cranny of the country.

The Director-General of NLA, Kofi Osei-Ameyaw reiterated that NLA is not out to witch-hunt the illegal lottery operators but only want them to operate within the National Lotto Act, 2006 (ACT 722) which mandates NLA to regulate, supervise and conduct National Lotto, and its related matters.

He also stated that NLA is able to access and provide Point of Sale Terminals for all members of CLAAG and asked them to submit a proposal for further discussions.

The deceased had gone to render accounts of the day’s lotto sales to his master at Old Amakom and was returning to his shop which was about 30 metres away from the Justice Hotel at the Afful-Nkwanta area of New Amakom.

While returning, it started raining heavily and upon reaching a section of the road around the Kumasi Children’s Park, he managed to cross the first two lanes from the Adum direction of the road and stood on the median pavement of the road.

As he attempted crossing the second double lane to the Children’s Park area, he was knocked down by the taxi which was coming from the Anloga junction direction of the dual carriage road.

Since it was raining, he was left to his fate as he bled profusely with several cuts on his body.

About two hours later after the rains had subsided, someone spotted him lying in a pool of blood by the road and raised an alarm for an ambulance from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Hospital; he was subsequently rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Accident and Emergency Unit for treatment.

He was, however, pronounced dead the next morning when the relatives rushed to KATH to see him.

He was married to Yaa Boatemaa; a petty trader at Afful-Nkwanta and had four children with her.

Dreams lotto numbers

Three-weeks after his untimely death, on a Monday morning, one Akosua Adutwumwaa, the wife of one of Diago’s friends from Ejisu, came to Afful-Nkwanta to inform her husband that she saw Diago in her dream the previous night and he gave her GH¢ 6,000 to be given to his wife to stake lotto so she could get enough money to organise a befitting funeral ceremony for him.

The friend, who knew of Diago’s “stand-by” numbers (it is a set of numbers he stakes every time and hopes it would drop sometime), staked 70-24-38-7-79, of which 70-7 dropped, leading to a massive win by the friends. However, the wife of the deceased had refused to stake.

Second golden chance

On the early morning of Tuesday, Akosua Adutwumwaa informed her husband once again that she had seen the deceased in a dream and this time he (Diago) was angry that his wife refused to stake the lotto as he had instructed the previous day; so he appealed to his friends to tell his wife to stake so she could get money for his funeral rites.

Diago’s friend, having won the stake the previous day, gave Yaa Boatemaa GH¢50 so she could stake with it, but she only staked GH¢5 out of the money and won after they staked 6-60-36-67-86 out of which 6-60 dropped.

Some residents of Afful-Nkwanta, Amakom, Asafo and Ejisu also staked the numbers and won.

Panic staking

Early Wednesday morning, news about the “ghost lotto numbers” went viral in Amakom and Asafo, two adjoining suburbs in Kumasi, leading to hundreds of people rushing to nearby lotto kiosks when it emerged that another person had dreamt and was given 2-13-16 by Diago to stake.

This led to the formation of long queues at Afful-Nkwanta, Amakom, Asafo and Ejisu to stake the ‘ghost numbers’ till the closing of the day’s lotto sales at 5 p.m. when the winning numbers were announced.

Unfortunately, none of the numbers for the third day dropped, leading to huge losses by the anxious gamblers.

Some of the lotto agents told The Mirror that their sales for Wednesday were among the highest in years as they took advantage of the ‘ghost numbers’ and the panic staking to make some money for themselves and for their masters.

Counting losses

When The Mirror visited Afful-Nkwanta and Amakom on Thursday, many were those who were angry for investing heavily without winning.

People of all ages – old men and women – as well as schoolchildren who had to borrow money from their friends and relations to stake the ghost numbers lost their money.

A 54-year-old petty trader, Madam Afia Nyamesem, was on Thursday morning spotted weeping uncontrollably near the Amakom market after she invested her capital of GH¢150, implying that she had lost her business outright.

Mr Yaw Owusu Ansah, a lotto agent, told The Mirror that if the third number had dropped, the agents and lotto operators in the area would have found it very difficult to pay for the winnings since the sales were so huge.

Information gathered by this paper indicated that within the two days, more than GH¢ 600,000 cash was won by various people who took part in the “ghost number” business with the single highest winning being GH¢ 60,000.

It was also gathered that some private lotto agents in the Amakom area were now out of business due to the high winning from the ‘ghost numbers’.

The burial and final funeral rites of Diago have, however, been slated for April 6 at Essianimpong in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

source: daily graphic