Some lottery industry players are not happy about the recently gazetted Lotteries Act, saying the law does not sufficiently address promotional competition in the country.

The Lotteries Amendment Act of 2017 came into force on 01 December 2021, aimed at regulating the industry effectively and ensuring that the sector is kept crime-free, while revenue to the state is being generated to support social welfare and upliftment.

Speaking at the public consultative awareness meeting here on Tuesday, Rudie Putter, General Manager of Avani said the law has omitted a section that addresses the operations of promotional competition in the country by companies, which has now forced entities to halt their promotional activities or act as benevolent societies.

Putter stressed that the amended Act in its current design is by default making existing activities illegal, stressing that the act has now turned every promotional device illegal, a move which has a far-fetched impact on the lucrative industry.

“The ministry should take into account how the industry works, what the impact is and be guided when implementing the law. Intensive consultation should have been applied. If what the law is saying now is to be applied, there will be no profit within the industry,” he said.

Echoing the same sentiments was Ohlthaver & List Group Compliance Manager, Aimee Alexander, who said the Act is forcing companies to register for something they are not, which she deemed as government forcing entities to enter into false benevolent practices.

The Lotteries Board’s secretariat, James Einbeck, affirmed that the omission in the legislation addressing the operation of promotional competition was an oversight by the legal drafters, minister, cabinet and parliament.

Einbeck, however, noted that in the meantime, the board has sent out a notice requesting industry players to submit their promotional competition activities for approval by the board as consultative meetings on the Act currently continue for input and to ensure an inclusive law.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency