The National Lottery Authority (NLA) says an internal decision to protect employees of the authority from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may result in delays in the payment of lottery prizes.
A statement from the NLA explained that management of the authority has introduced an employee shift system due to the outbreak of the pandemic, adding that the decision may affect prompt payment of prizes since workers are not working at full capacity.
“Inasmuch as we are ever willing to satisfy the staking public, lotto discounters and lotto marketing companies, it is equally important for NLA to also take pragmatic steps to protect the lives of the employees of the Authority in this difficult period of the Coronavirus pandemic,” the statement said.
While appealing to the public, especially holders of winning tickets, to bear with the authority and exercise patience, it gave the assurance that lottery winners will receive their prizes, despite the delay.
The statement said it has become imperative for the NLA to properly investigate winning tickets before payments are made due to the rate of lotto fraudsters in the lottery industry.
As a result, the statement said a decision by the NLA to exercise due diligence, thorough investigation and validation of winning tickets may also cause some delays in the payment of winning prizes.
“From the above stated reasons, we are humbly urging the staking public, lotto discounters and lotto marketing companies to promptly register their respective winning tickets at nearby regional and district offices of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) or even at the Authority’s Head Office for thorough validation and investigation of the winning tickets before payment,” the statement said.
It therefore appealed to the staking public, lotto discounters and lotto marketing companies to exercise patience with the process and help transform the lottery industry.
By Times Reporter
