A private citizen has formally invoked the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2019 (Act 989) to request extensive financial and operational records from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Lottery Authority (NLA) concerning lottery and gaming companies operating in the country.
In two separate applications dated May 10, 2026, and addressed to the Commissioner-General of the GRA and the Director-General of the NLA, the petitioner, Mr. Ayisah Foster, managing editor of The Punch Newspaper , is seeking information covering taxation, licensing, revenues, regulatory compliance and financial performance within Ghana’s lottery sector.
The requests span periods ranging from 2012 to 2025 and involve dozens of companies operating in the lottery and gaming industry.
In his application to the GRA, Mr. Foster requested details of taxes collected between 2020 and 2025 from 36 lottery and gaming companies operating in Ghana.
The companies named in the request include KGL Technology Limited, Onassis Sports Limited, Alpha Lotto Limited, Game Park Ltd, Afrilotto System Ltd, SIMNET Ghana Limited and TekStart Africa Limited, among others.
The petitioner stated that the information is being sought pursuant to Section 18 of the RTI Act, which guarantees citizens the right to access information held by public institutions, subject to specific exemptions under the law.
A separate and more comprehensive request submitted to the NLA seeks information on licence fees and revenues received from 33 lottery-related companies between 2020 and 2025.
The application also requests details of payments made by the NLA to three technical service providers — Lots-Services Ghana Limited, SIMNET Ghana Limited and TekStart Africa Limited — from 2018 to 2025.
Additionally, the petitioner is seeking revenue figures generated through three mobile lottery short codes: *890#, reportedly operated by TekStart Africa Limited; *896#, linked to Alpha Lotto Limited; and *859#, associated with Onassis Sports Limited.
Mr. Foster further requested clarification on whether the companies involved were duly licensed by the NLA to operate the platforms and, where applicable, details of penalties imposed for any unauthorised operations.
Historical Financial Data
The RTI application also seeks historical financial records from the NLA, including total current liabilities from 2012 to 2020, annual revenues generated through the Authority’s 5/90 lottery product, total prize payouts and yearly lotto win ratios.
The petitioner is also requesting information on commissions paid to marketing companies involved in the sale of lottery products through kiosks and point-of-sale terminals nationwide.
Live Lottery Draws
Another aspect of the request relates to revenues generated from live lottery draws conducted by Alpha Lotto Limited on Ghana Television (GTV).
The petitioner has asked the NLA to disclose the amount of revenue accrued to the Authority from those broadcasts, citing provisions of the National Lotto Act, 2006 (Act 722) and the Lottery Regulations, 2008 (L.I. 1948), which assign responsibility for the conduct and supervision of lottery draws to the NLA.
The RTI applications also challenge long-standing claims regarding the NLA’s contribution to the national purse.
Mr. Foster is seeking documentary evidence to substantiate assertions that the Authority generated annual revenues or profits ranging from GH¢500 million to GH¢3 billion between 2007 and 2020 for the Consolidated Fund.
He is also requesting details of licence fees and revenues generated from the mobile lottery applications myalphaonline.com and theb2blotto.com between 2020 and 2025, including the identities of companies licensed to operate those platforms.
Copies of the applications have been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance as well as the board chairpersons of the GRA and NLA.
The requests are expected to attract significant public interest and could intensify scrutiny of Ghana’s lottery and gaming industry, particularly with regard to taxation, licensing arrangements, regulatory compliance and the financial management of both private operators and the National Lottery Authority.
Under the RTI Act, public institutions are required to respond to information requests within the timelines stipulated by law, subject to any applicable exemptions.
