The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has vowed to resist political interference in its crackdown on illegal lottery operations.

This follows the consistent decline in revenue generation from over GH₵400 million in 2017 to GH₵200 million in 2021.

While responding to the findings of the Attorney General’s report at the Public Accounts Committee sitting in Parliament, Sammy Awuku said his outfit had identified some 780 illegal operating lotto companies in Ghana.

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According to him, the country's lottery field is estimated by the World Lotto Association to raise about 1.8 billion cedis a year. 

“Out of this, about a billion is in the hands of the illegal operators. They don't pay taxes. We don't know them. You go after them and it becomes a political matter. 

“But now we have decided that in helping us get to that revenue mobilisation point, if you are not licensed to operate lottery, we won't allow you to operate,” he stressed on Monday.

Backing this stance, the Head of Corporate Affairs of NLA, Maame Kissiwa Dolphin said the Authority will make operating illegally in the lottery space unattractive.

“If you don't find your name here, it means they are coming after you and they are doing this in conjunction with a joint military and police force and they are closing down your shops, and taking your books until you come to the Authority to be regularized.

 "So this time they are not taking any calls from the political parties or the influential people, sometimes traditional leaders.

"They are just going to do their job and also they are meeting with the Ministry of Finance and GRA on Thursday to map out a roadmap as to how they can bring this illegal lottery operators into the tax bracket because their business is hurting the Authority’s revenue”.