The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has announced that all sales of manual coupons and tickets to the public will end on December 15, this year. The management of NLA is urging its retailers and receivers to run down their stock levels to ensure that all such coupons are sold by the stipulated date. Speaking at a press conference in Accra Friday, the Director General of NLA Mr. Kojo Andah said the rationale is to migrate it’s activities onto an automated platform. Mr. Kojo Andah noted that Ghana wants to be at par with the rest of the world because with the advent of technological most member countries of the World Lottery Association (WLA) have decided to eliminate manual system of operation by mechanizing their lottery systems. He hinted that migrating onto the automation platform will lower the cost of operations and eliminate associated fraud by unscrupulous people. Mr. Andah gave the assurance that, there will be no job losses through the automation. “From 2006 to date, the NLA has been implementing the actions to automate its sales and distribution network in two phases; the point of sale terminals and the portable automated data processing machines (PADPM) which is via online and generating a lot of money” he indicated. He asserted that the education and marketing of the automated platform has seen a decline in the manual tickets, which now contributes only 13% to NLA's operations compared to the 87% of the new technology. Mr. Andah hinted that the automated platform has been introduced because the cost of running manual operation is on the increase due to high fixed costs. The national lottery authority (NLA) revitalized its products portfolios and platforms by introducing the NLA SMS Lottery, NLA Caritas Lottery, NLA airtime sale and the NLA Scratch Lotto. The lottery giants said that as part of its branding process, the NLA run products such as Monday Special, Lucky Tuesday, Mid-Week, Fortune Thursday and Friday Bonanza in addition to the new products. The Director General hinted that as part of its corporate social responsibility the NLA has introduced the NLA Caritas Lottery with the aim of offering support to the less privileged in society. “The platform will be available for both the NLA and other well meaning Ghanaians who may wish to conduct a game of chance to help the needy in society” he asserted.