JVP asks Govt. to disclose details of new online lottery scheme
Saturday, 22 March 2014 00:00
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The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has called on the Government to disclose details of the new online lottery scheme.
JVP parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake has questioned the success of this new online lottery scheme since it is not a novelty to Sri Lankans.
Pointing out to parliament that a previous attempt made in 2003 had led the National Lotteries Board to incur a loss of Rs. 8 billion, the MP warned that the Government was leading the younger generation into a new type of addiction and the country to disaster.
Dissanayake has pointed out that the last online lottery, which was a venture under the National Lotteries Board, was launched during the UNP government and it lacked transparency.
He said the online lottery the Government is planning to introduce is more or less similar to a casino but the authorities including the Finance Ministry have failed to see that.
The JVP MP has called on the government to disclose all the details of the approval given to Oceanic Games Ltd. to commence the online lottery scheme named Ogame.
He asked the Government to reveal the names of the directors and the details of the local partners, the initial investment and the subsequent plans, the regulatory measures followed to launch an online lottery in Sri Lanka, the details of Cabinet approval and the action taken to prevent possible frauds.
Recently a government minister said that Oceanic Games Ltd. will pay Rs. 500 million per year to the Mahapola Education Fund in the next three years.
