Ghana’s flagship 590 lottery product is increasingly shaping how lotteries are run across Africa, with several countries now studying and emulating the model, according to Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Mohammed Abdul-Salem.

Speaking at a Board meeting of the African Lottery Association (ALA), Mr Abdul-Salem said Ghana’s lottery system particularly the 590, has positioned the country as a reference point for best practices on the continent.

“A lot of countries across Africa are emulating the example of Ghana when it comes to the 590 lottery,” he noted.

The ALA Board meeting, hosted in Accra, brought together lottery regulators and operators from across the continent to review operations for 2025 and outline governance and operational priorities for 2026.

Mr Abdul-Salem, who also serves as Vice President of the African Lottery Association, said the meeting highlighted the need for a unified continental approach to lottery governance.

“Africa needs a common platform where we can share best practices and learn governance protocols for lotteries and betting,” he said.

The Association is currently led by the Director-General of LONACI, the Ivorian National Lottery, as President, with Ghana playing a key leadership role at the Board level.

Beyond product innovation, the meeting focused on governance reforms, cybersecurity, and the growing role of technology in lottery administration.

Mr Abdul-Salem pointed to ongoing training programmes on cybersecurity and blockchain-based lottery administration, some of which have already taken place in Ivory Coast and Morocco, as part of efforts to strengthen operational standards across Africa.

Committees are also being set up to deepen capacity building in areas such as governance, compliance, and operations.

Looking ahead, the NLA Director-General said 2026 will be a reform-focused year for Ghana’s lottery sector, with changes expected in governance structures and product offerings.

“We will be seeing reforms as far as the governance of the National Lottery Authority is concerned. We will also be introducing more products for the gaming public,” he said.

While sports betting and other gaming products continue to expand across the continent, Mr Abdul-Salam maintained that Ghana’s lottery model, anchored by the 590, remains a key benchmark within Africa’s evolving gaming landscape.

The African Lottery Association is an associate member of both the European Lotteries and the World Lottery Association, aligning its work with international governance and operational standards.