DNL embarks on outreach programme in the North

Tamale, Dec. 20, GNA- The Department of National Lotteries (DNL) has embarked on an educational outreach programme of the three Northern Regions to educate lotto receivers, private lotto agents and writers on the new DNL Bill.

The bill seeks to abolish private lotto and the "Banker-to-Banker operation and to give the sole mandate to the DNL, a state-owned enterprise to organise lotto business in the country.

Mr Peter Eddison Saah, Marketing Executive of the DNL announced this when he addressed a cross-section of lotto receivers, private lotto agents and writers in the Tamale Metropolis and the Savelegu/Nanton District.

Mr Saah said, the bill if passed, would require private lotto owners to negotiate with the government to use their lotto names or their operations would become illegal.

He noted that the liberalization of the lotto business had not benefited the government since most of the private lotto operators had not been able to meet their tax obligations to the state and this had adversely affected government's revenue for the past years. Mr Saah, who was part of a three-member team on the outreach programme, said the DNL has liberalized the registration of agents and it would absorb and manage those private games and urged agents to register with DNL.

"The DNL is reforming its operations to cater for the interest of its clients, "he said, adding, "for instance, we are replacing coupons with perm books to give every staker a chance."

The DNL, he said, was going to establish closing centres in all the district capitals for receivers, agents and writers to submit sold booklets instead of traveling to the regional capitals to submit them. The centres would serve as sub-district offices of the DNL and receiving point of perm books to agents and writers to ensure prompt payment to winners, while efforts were being made to introduce more new games into the system to put more money into the pockets of agents and writers.

Mr Saah announced that the DNL was also to institute a special pension scheme for all lotto receivers, writers and agents to take care of their old age.

He urged the agents and writers to prepare their minds towards the take-over and to take up the new challenges the DNL seeks to introduce.