Onassis Sports’ *859# Lotto Operations Under More Scrutiny

Questions are being raised over the operation of the *859# USSD lottery platform by Onassis Sports Limited, a company linked to businessman Seidu Agongo, amid calls for greater transparency within Ghana’s lottery sector.

The concerns were contained in a statement issued by the Managing Editor of Punch Newspaper, Mr. Ayisah Foster, who called on relevant state institutions to clarify the circumstances under which the platform operated and the financial benefits accrued to the state.

According to Mr. Ayisah, there is a need for the National Lottery Authority (NLA) to publicly disclose whether Onassis Sports Limited obtained the necessary approvals to operate the *859# 5/90 USSD lotto service.

The journalist also called for the disclosure of the amount of revenue generated for the NLA through the platform and the level of Corporate Income Tax (CIT) paid to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) during the period of its operation.

He referenced reports indicating that Onassis Sports Limited was granted an exclusive licence to operate the NLA’s Caritas Lottery during the tenure of former NLA Director-General, Sammy Awuku, in 2024.

Mr. Ayisah questioned why Mr. Agongo is allegedly seeking to leverage political influence to gain greater control within the NLA despite his company having reportedly been granted exclusivity to operate the Caritas Lottery under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

He argued that discussions surrounding monopoly and exclusivity in the lottery industry should be examined broadly, noting that if a company enjoys exclusive rights in one segment of the lottery business, similar scrutiny should be applied across the sector.

According to him, recent developments within the lottery industry have heightened competition among operators and sparked debate over access to various lottery platforms.

He indicated that investors in the industry should focus more on innovation, marketing, and technology-driven growth rather than engaging in disputes over control and market dominance.

“If Mr. Agongo sincerely understands the lottery business, he can create significant value from the Caritas Lottery business licence granted to him under the previous administration by attracting corporate participation, including from companies such as KGL Group,” Mr. Ayisah stated.

He added: “The Caritas Lottery remains one of the flagship products of the National Lottery Authority, and with the right technology and marketing strategies, operators can achieve significant success.”

Mr. Ayisah maintained that the Caritas Lottery remains a potentially significant product of the NLA and suggested that operators could leverage technology and strategic partnerships to expand participation.

The statement also drew comparisons between different lottery products and business models, arguing that each licence holder should operate within the scope of permissions granted by the NLA.

He further called for transparency regarding licensing arrangements and urged regulators to ensure fairness and accountability within the lottery industry.

“It does not make sense for a businessman to fight or undermine another businessman simply because his political party is in power at the moment. Political parties do not remain in power forever,” he stated.

Mr. Ayisah also argued that no entity or individual prevented Mr. Agongo from venturing into the USSD/mobile lottery space during previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administrations between 1992–2000 and 2009–2016, periods during which KGL was not yet in operation.

He recalled that when KGL entered into partnership with the NLA in 2019, there were no competing proposals to operate the NLA’s 5/90 USSD/mobile lottery platform, largely due to the capital-intensive nature of the business and the failure of earlier initiatives, including Mobi Game 2 Sure in 2008 and Mobile 5/90 and Soccer Cash in 2015.

According to him, the success of KGL’s operations later attracted interest from other players in the industry, although he maintained that such success came with significant financial commitments and operational challenges.

Mr. Ayisah said clarifications from the authorities would help address public concerns regarding whether Onassis Sports Limited was duly authorized by the NLA to operate the *859# 5/90 USSD lotto service, how much revenue, if any, was generated for the NLA through the platform, and the amount of corporate income tax paid to the GRA during the period of operation.

He believes such disclosures would help strengthen public confidence in the regulation and governance of Ghana’s lottery sector.