The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has assumed the status of a European Lotteries (EL) Observer Member.
This status became effective from Monday, June 17, 2024. Becoming an Observer Member means the NLA has been certified according to the EL Responsible Gaming Standard. Observer Members must fulfil the criteria for Regular Membership.
The NLA was granted an Observer membership status at the General Assembly of the EL Industry Days Seminar underway in Salzburg, Austria, from Sunday, June 16 and is expected to end today.
The 45-member countries present at the event voted unanimously for the NLA as an EL Observer Member after a strong pitch by the Director-General of NLA, Samuel Awuku, at the EL Public Seminar Order in Brussels in February this year.
The Director-General was invited to share the views beyond Africa on Illegal gambling in Ghana, following which he made the pitch. Subsequently, the EL Secretary-General, Arjan Van T. Veer, requested the NLA to officially write to the EL and go through an application process.
The process required the submission of the authority’s financial statements, expenditure on Good Causes and responsible gaming certification.
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The NLA is the second African country to be granted Observer membership after Morocco, bringing the EL’s current Observer Members to four, namely Satty Zhuldyz JSC of Kajakstan, Loterie Nationale Morocco and La Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports of Morrocco and the National Lottery Authority of Ghana.
The observer status allows the NLA and its stakeholders to now freely participate in the EL training, capacity building and exchange programmes on best practices for the development of the lottery industry.
EL is present in 39 countries in Europe, with 70 members, 50 of which operate in a member state of the EU, while 20 members operate in non-EU states. Mr Awuku thanked the EL for granting the NLA the opportunity and expressed the belief that it would strengthen the authority’s operations and position the NLA internationally as the authority seeks to pursue its vision to become the lottery organisation of choice and blueprint in Africa and beyond.
The NLA Director-General also praised his dedicated team, led by the Governing Board and supported by the management and staff for working collectively to achieve the milestone for the NLA brand which had soared in recent years.
Also present at the meeting were WLA officials, including its President, Rebeccah Paul, and the General Secretary, Lynne Roiter.