Sammi Awuku has renewed his call for stronger cooperation among global lottery regulators to tackle illegal gaming operations and ensure that lottery proceeds directly benefit society.
In a follow-up conversation with Public Gaming International Magazine after being featured in their magazine, Awuku stressed the importance of educating political stakeholders on how legal lotteries contribute to national development, as opposed to commercial or illegal operators who enrich themselves at the public’s expense.
“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,” Awuku emphasized.
According to him, illegal operators pose a critical threat to the integrity of the lottery system across Africa and beyond. These operators do not pay taxes, do not support public programs, and do not adhere to consumer protection laws.
“They are, in effect, stealing from our people,” he said bluntly. “And they do not respect the laws that protect the consumer.”
Awuku believes that stopping these illegal operations will require more than local enforcement.
He called for greater international cooperation, urging bodies like the African Lotteries Association (ALA), European Lotteries (EL), and the World Lotteries Association (WLA) to build a stronger information-sharing network.
“A company should not operate illegally in some countries and be licensed to operate legally in others,” he argued. “If a company operates illegally in any country, it should be denied the license to operate in every country.”
Beyond intelligence sharing, Awuku stressed that current penalties are too weak to deter these well-financed illegal businesses.
He said fines are often viewed by these companies as just another “cost of doing business” and called for harsher punishments that will actually impact their operations.
“The punishment needs to be more stringent than a fine,” he said. “These illegals make a lot of money, so the penalties must hurt more.”
To pave the way for Africa’s lottery sector to grow responsibly, Awuku highlighted the need to nurture esprit de corps—a strong spirit of collaboration—among regulators in both mature and emerging markets.
“We need to share ideas and learn from our neighbours in more mature markets,” he concluded.
Though no longer at the helm of the NLA, Sammi Awuku continues to be a powerful voice in promoting lottery integrity, responsible gaming, and equitable development through public policy.
