Sammi Awuku, former Director of Ghana’s National Lottery Authority, has called for global unity against the black market in an interview with Public Gaming International Magazine.
Given Awuku’s past experience, he has been continuously outspoken on the effects illegal operators have on communities, using his high-profile political stature within Ghana to continue the conversation even after stepping down from the Lottery earlier this year.
Illegal operators, he said, are putting regulated lotteries across Africa and abroad at a critical level of risk, syphoning crucial social funding away while not paying a single cent in tax themselves.
“They are, in effect, stealing from our people. And they do not respect the laws that protect the consumer.”
To counter this rising threat, Awuku – who is currently a Member of Parliament – has once again urged domestic and international regulators such as the African Lotteries Association (ALA), European Lotteries (EL), and the World Lotteries Association (WLA), to improve relations and strengthen collaboration.
“A company should not operate illegally in some countries and be licensed to operate legally in others. If a company operates illegally in any country, it should be denied the license to operate in every country.”
Awuku also criticised the level of scrutiny currently imposed on such operators, deeming them insufficiently effective as they’re treated by black market firms like nothing more than another ‘business cost’.
“The punishment needs to be more stringent than a fine,” he added. “These illegals make a lot of money, so the penalties must hurt more.”
But offshore operators were not the only ones that found themselves in Awuku’s crosshair. The MP used the opportunity to also scrutinise licenced commercial operators in an effort to place lotteries as the most important element for national development within the gambling sector.
“When people play the lottery, society is enriched instead of private shareholders. Lottery proceeds build another school or maternity ward instead of paying for another private jet for the executives of commercial operators,” he added.
And while lotteries do play a critical role in the funding of societies, their integrity has continuously been put under review throughout this year, with the most notable examples coming from South Africa, Colombia, and Bulgaria.