A private citizen has formally invoked Ghana’s Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2019 (Act 989), to request extensive financial, operational, and regulatory records from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Lottery Authority (NLA) concerning lottery and gaming companies operating in the country.

The applications, dated May 10, 2026, were submitted by Ayisah Foster, Managing Editor of The Punch Newspaper, to the Commissioner-General of the GRA and the Director-General of the NLA.

The requests seek detailed information on taxation, licensing, revenues, regulatory compliance, and the financial performance of companies within Ghana’s lottery and gaming sector, covering periods between 2012 and 2025.

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.

Among the companies listed in the request are KGL Technology Limited, Onassis Sports Limited, Alpha Lotto Limited, Game Park Ltd, Afrilotto System Ltd, SIMNET Ghana Limited and TekStart Africa Limited.

The petitioner cited Section 18 of the RTI Act, which guarantees citizens access to information held by public institutions, subject to specific legal exemptions.

A separate application submitted to the NLA seeks information on licence fees and revenues received from 33 lottery-related companies between 2020 and 2025.

The request also seeks details of payments made by the NLA to technical service providers, including SIMNET Ghana Limited and TekStart Africa Limited, from 2018 to 2025.

In addition, Mr. Foster has requested revenue figures generated through mobile lottery short codes allegedly linked to various operators and has asked the Authority to disclose whether the companies involved were duly licensed to operate those platforms.

He further requested information on penalties or sanctions imposed in cases where operators may have conducted unauthorised activities.

Beyond recent transactions, the RTI applications seek historical financial data from the NLA, including total current liabilities from 2012 to 2020, revenues generated through the Authority’s 5/90 lottery product, annual prize payouts, and lotto win ratios.

The petitioner is also seeking records on commissions paid to marketing companies engaged in the sale of lottery products through kiosks and point-of-sale terminals nationwide.

Another aspect of the request concerns revenues generated from live lottery draws conducted by Alpha Lotto Limited on Ghana Television.

Mr. Foster has asked the NLA to disclose the amount of revenue accrued to the Authority from the broadcasts, citing provisions of the National Lotto Act, 2006 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 seek documentary evidence to support previous claims regarding the NLA’s contributions to the Consolidated Fund.

Specifically, Mr. Foster is requesting records to substantiate assertions that the Authority generated annual revenues or profits ranging between GH¢500 million and GH¢3 billion from 2007 to 2020.

He is also seeking information on licence fees and revenues generated through selected online lottery platforms between 2020 and 2025, as well as details of the companies authorised to operate them.

Copies of the applications have been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance and the board chairpersons of both 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 regarding taxation, licensing arrangements, regulatory compliance, and the financial management of both private operators and the National Lottery Authority.

Under the Right to Information Act, public institutions are required to respond to requests for information within the timelines prescribed by law, subject to any applicable exemptions.