By Nadia Ntiamoah
The long-running debate over the role of KGL Technology Limited within the lottery industry has taken a new turn, with the company rejecting allegations that it enjoys a monopoly at the National Lottery Authority (NLA) and calling for a broader investigation into the Authority’s operational and financial challenges.
In a statement to the media, KGL argued that persistent attempts have been made to tarnish the company’s image despite what they describe as its significant contribution to state revenue and the lottery ecosystem.
It contends that public discussions surrounding the NLA’s declining fortunes have unfairly focused on KGL while overlooking wider structural and operational problems within the Authority.
Calls for Investigation Beyond KGL
The statement urged journalists, policymakers, and regulators to undertake a comprehensive review of the NLA’s business operations, management systems, and administrative structures to determine the real causes of the Authority’s revenue difficulties.
According to the statement, public attention has become disproportionately centred on the NLA-KGL relationship, while several other licensed operators and collaborators continue to operate within the lottery space under long-term agreements.
The statement maintains that an objective assessment of the industry would reveal that KGL is only one of dozens of companies licensed by the NLA under existing lottery laws.
Supporters of KGL pointed to a list of private lotto operators, collaborators, and technical service providers that have been granted licences by the NLA over the years.
Among the companies mentioned were Onassis Sports Limited, Alpha Lotto Ltd, Game Park Ltd, Afrilotto Systems Ltd, Blue Star Hi-Tech Co. Ltd, Luma Facilities Trading Ltd, and numerous others operating under various arrangements with the Authority.
According to the statement, many of these companies reportedly hold agreements ranging from 10 to 15 years, making it difficult to sustain claims that a single company has exclusive control of the industry.
Revenue Figures Fuel Debate
The statement’s strongest defence of KGL centred on revenue generation.
According to figures contained in the statement, KGL paid approximately GH¢173.36 million to the NLA during the 2025 financial year, a figure significantly higher than contributions attributed to other operators.
The data presented indicated that the combined contribution of 29 licensed collaborators and private lotto operators amounted to approximately GH¢44.9 million during the same period.
Among the companies listed were Onassis Sports Ltd with GH¢2.04 million, Alpha Lotto Ltd with GH¢2 million, Rand Lottery Ltd with GH¢2 million, Game Park Ltd with GH¢2.63 million, Afrilotto Systems Ltd with GH¢3.56 million, and Luma Facilities Trading Ltd with GH¢4.14 million.
The statement argues that the figures demonstrate KGL’s central role in supporting NLA revenues and challenge the narrative that the company is solely responsible for any financial difficulties facing the Authority.
Questions Over Other Operators
The statement further alleged that some licensed operators had either contributed minimal amounts or had not made payments to the NLA for the 2025 financial year.
According to the statement, these findings raise broader questions about compliance, revenue collection, and enforcement across the lottery sector.
Response to Billion-Cedi Loss Claims
The defence of KGL also sought to rebut claims that the NLA-KGL contract had caused Ghana to lose between GH¢1 billion and GH¢3 billion annually.
It argued that available audit findings and financial data do not support such assertions and that the figures being circulated publicly are exaggerated.
Instead, they maintain that the challenges facing the lottery sector stem from deeper structural issues requiring comprehensive reform rather than the targeting of a single company.
Calls for Industry Reforms
Beyond defending KGL, the statement called for sweeping reforms across Ghana’s lottery industry.
Advocates argued that existing legislation, including the National Lotto Act 722 and Legislative Instrument 1948, should be reviewed to reflect evolving technological realities and strengthen the industry’s revenue-generating capacity.
They also stressed that the burden of supporting NLA revenues should not fall disproportionately on one operator, insisting that all licensed companies should be held to the same standards of performance and accountability.
Debate Continues Over NLA’s Future
The statement emerges against the backdrop of ongoing tensions within the NLA, including disputes over licensing arrangements, labour unrest, governance concerns, and calls for greater transparency in the management of lottery revenues.
Workers’ unions and critics have repeatedly questioned the growing influence of private operators within the lottery sector, while supporters of KGL argue that the company has become an easy target in a debate that should focus on broader institutional reforms.
