Liberia: National Lottery CEO, Martin S. Kollie Renews Calls for Amendment of the 1993 Act That Created the LNLC

Monrovia, December 3, 2013:  The Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia National Lotteries Corporation, Mr. Martin S. Kollie renews calls for Government to take complete control over the gaming industry in Liberia. 

Mr. Kollie made the statement on Monday, December 2, 2013 at his Du-port Road  offices in Paynesville, outside Monrovia upon his returned from a three-day’s session at the second sitting of the African Lottery Association Regional Forum, held in Bamako, Mali from the 21^st – 23^rd  November 2013.

According to press release of the National Lotteries, Mr. Kollie who served as one of the key-panelists during the s

ession said that Liberia must now take full charge of its gaming industry as other countries have done and are making progress.

 He said for the Lotteries industry in Liberia to move forward and improve; it must have full jurisdiction and oversight on all games of chance in the country.

The CEO of the National Lotteries further disclosed that other African countries are doing well within their Lottery industries, including: the Ghana National Lottery Authority, Ethiopia Lottery Administration, Loterie Nationale of Mali, Loterie  Nationale of Senegalese among others: as it pertains to their operational functions and contributing towards their countries’ national budget, as well as achieving their social corporate responsibilities based on their strong regulatory powers and laws.

He indicated that most of his trips to these countries have broadened his vision to reform and transform the Liberia National Lotteries: as the lotteries’ successes of these countries were not magic, but a strong law.

Mr. Kollie noted that other countries; including Ghana National Lottery Authority, contributes GH₡ One hundred eighty-eight million and four thousand Ghanaian Cedi to the country’s national budget.

“Had you been to Ghana before this interview, you will get to understand that the Ghana National Lottery Authority is doing extremely well in terms of their lottery activities. They remit GH₡ One hundred eighty -eight million, and four thousand to the State, with the exception of taxes that the Authority received from those gaming entities. The Lottery Authority of Ghana also generates GH₡ Five million Cedi per week from their weekly lotto’s draws,” Mr. Kollie asserted.

He expressed that the Ghana National Lottery Authority is ranked the highest revenue ever in its history; a performance review which placed the institution to be the leading revenue generating entity in Ghana and placed the country  among the world’s top 10 fastest growing economics.

He however called on the Ministry of Justice and the Law Reform Commission, along with the Honorable House of Legislature in helping to re-structure and amend the 1993 Act that created the National Lotteries, so as to empower the Liberia National Lotteries in having absolute authority over all games of chance in Liberia and to help generate revenue for the Government.

The meeting which brought together key Stakeholders and Executives from Morocco, Ivory Cost, Mali, Liberia, Senegal, Togo among others of the African Lottery; sought to address issues of concerns within the African Lottery Industry and also to prepare for the 2014 African Lottery Association Meeting, scheduled to be held in Dakar, Senegal. 

The intend of the CEO’s visit to Mali was also meant to form part of  the preparation for the upcoming African Lottery Association (ALA) Summit, scheduled for March 2014, in Dakar, Senegal and to hold discussions with one of the most reputable Horse Racing Betting Authorities of Europe, the Pari Mutuel Urbian of France.

After every two years, officials of the African Lottery Association (ALA) converge to discuss critical issues of the industry and to draw up the calendar of event for the next Executive sitting of the Association, as a matter of core and custom.

The participation of the Government of Liberia, through the Liberia National Lotteries Corporation has been recorded as the first time in the history of the African Lottery Association (ALA) since it was founded in 1981 and a sign of positive reform step of Liberia’s Lottery Industry. 

According to the Lotteries Boss, Mr. Martin Kollie, Liberia was the only English speaking country that attended the ALA’s Executive Meeting, which gave the country much attention and opportunities to interact with other advanced Lottery companies, including the Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) of France, a company that is popular for its Horse Racing Gaming activities in Europe and Africa’s #1 Lottery Industry, Loterie Nationale of Morocco as a means of helping in improving the Liberia’s Lottery sector.  

The Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia National Lotteries, further disclosed that Pari Mutuel Urbian (PMU) will host the African Lottery Award, next year April, in Paris, France where Liberia will be highly represented.  

He said discussions were held and agreed upon that all African Lottery Leaders will form part of the occasion, for which a winner from that program will be awarded the African Lottery Award.

Mr. Kollie also indicated that sideline discussions were held with the General Directors of Loterie Nationale de Cote d’Ivoire, Mr. Fofana Issiaka,  Loterie Nationale of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Samba Kane and also the Malian first female Finance Minister, Ministre de I’Economie et des Finances, Madam Bouare Fily Sissoko; in order to form a bilateral partnership, as a means of knowledge sharing, capacity building, a joint-cooperation of responsible gaming and preventing frauds and also providing security on internet gaming.

In conclusion, Mr. Kollie said that his vision for the National Lotteries is for the government to be in full controlled of the gaming activities in Liberia and hope by 2014-2015, Liberia National Lotteries will be a different institution in supplementing Government’s effort and achieving her social responsibilities.

CEO Martin S. Kollie, Liberia National Lotteries