NLA boss
The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has announced that there will be slight delays in payment of winning lotto ticket and prizes after every draw as it take steps to review its payment timelines.
It said that the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising interference of lotto fraudsters has informed its decision.
A statement from the Public Affairs Unit of the NLA explained that a shift system currently administered by the Authority on its employees in a bid to protect them would reasonably delay the process of payment.
“In as much as we are ever willing to satisfy the staking public, lotto discounters and lotto marketing companies, it is equally important for NLA to also take pragmatic steps to protect the lives of employees of the Authority in this difficult period of the coronavirus pandemic,” it said.
Also, it indicated that with the rising activities of lotto fraudsters in the industry, the NLA will be taking time to investigate properly winning tickets and prize.
“The decision by NLA to do due diligence, thorough investigation and validation of winning tickets would definitely affect the timelines for payment,” the statement added.
To this end, the Authority has asked the public, lotto discounters and lotto marketing companies to promptly register their winning tickets at the regional and district offices of the NLA and its head office to pave the way for thorough investigation of tickets.
The NLA further encouraged its stakeholders to exercise patience with the process “so that collectively and individually, we all can transform the lottery industry.”
