The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has announced a new directive requiring all lotto agents to obtain official licences before operating, as part of efforts to sanitise the industry and curb the activities of unregistered operators.

NLA Director-General, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, said the initiative is necessary to restore transparency, protect state revenue, and safeguard the interests of players.

“We want to ensure that those serving customers are legitimately permitted by law,” he stated. “At the moment, too many people are engaged in selling lottery without the proper mandate, and it is difficult to keep chasing after those who break the rules.”

The move follows discrepancies uncovered in data submitted by private lotto agents. According to Abdul-Salam, figures provided on the number of writers engaged by these agents did not align with their declared revenue returns.

“When we compared the number of writers reported to us with the revenue being declared, the disparity was significant,” he revealed.

The Authority fears such mismatches point to accountability lapses and possible revenue leakages that undermine the integrity of the system. By enforcing licensing, the NLA hopes to create a fairer and more transparent market, while boosting public confidence in the lottery.

Although the directive may face pushback from unregistered operators likely to be driven out of business, Abdul-Salam maintained that the exercise is essential to protect both the industry and unsuspecting customers from exploitation.