Two lotto associations are demanding 40 per cent commission from the National Lottery Authority (NLA) instead of the 20 per cent being offered their writers.
The Ghana Lotto Operators Association (GLOA) and Concerned Lotto Agents Association of Ghana (CLAAG), said the 20 per cent commission could not sustain the businesses of members, following the current economic hardship.
The members, clad in red, with placards in protest of the reduction of 30 per cent to 20 per cent commission, said the NLA should increase the 20 per cent or maintain the 30 per cent it was paying lotto writers.
At a stakeholder meeting in Accra on Tuesday, members of the associations said the reduction of their commission would collapse their businesses with untold hardship on their families.
The Executive Secretary of CLAAG, Mr Eric Duah, said members have already written to NLA to register their protest at the reduction in the commissions, but to no avail.
He said the situation has therefore resulted in several incidence of near altercations between lotto writers and their respective agents.
“This coupled with numerous outpouring of angered writers expressing themselves through voice calls, WhatsApp and SMS messages to our offices and executive officers demanding for sustained nationwide demonstrations against the reduction until such times that will be reversed,” Mr Duah said.
He said that the introduction of lottery on phones had reduced patronage, which was making it difficult for its members to meet daily targets.
Mr Duah said the associations could not accept the 20 per cent commission, and asked it is either NLA increased the commission or maintain the 30 per cent.
He promised members that the associations would pursue NLA over the increment in the commission, and urged them to be calm.
“It is our hope to seek amicable solution to the Problem at hand, of course with the active participation of GLOA,” Mr Duah said.
The Chairman of GLOA, Mr Noah Afonope assured the lotto agents and operators of a fruitful engagement with the NLA.
BY VIVIAN ARTHUR
