News
Technology kicking us out of business …Lotto operators cry
THE growing popularity of digital and online lottery platforms is steadily undermining the livelihoods of traditional lottery vendors in Accra, many of whom say the change has not only reduced their income but also affected their family lives.
Several vendors, commonly known as ‘lotto writers,’ say the shift to mobile and online lottery systems has significantly reduced the number of customers who visit their kiosks to stake games.
Some say the financial strain has become so severe that it has created tension in their homes, with a few even losing their marriages because they can no longer provide for their families as they once did.
Others indicated that they were now searching for additional jobs to supplement their lottery business to meet their household responsibilities.
The vendors, operating in areas such as Shukura, Tema Station, Laterbiokorshie, Mamprobi and the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange area, shared their experiences in separate interviews with The Spectator.
Mr Michael Addy, a lotto writer for 15 years and father of four, said business had declined sharply in recent years.
According to him, he previously earned about GH¢3,000 from ticket sales and commissions after paying winning customers, but his earnings have now dropped to less than GH¢1,000.
“Although I have been able to see my children through the basic level, Senior High School and the university, there is a lot of responsibility on me as my wife left me because I am unable to earn enough to take care of the family. I wish I could find another job in addition to this lotto business but I no longer have the strength to do any hard work,” he lamented.
Another vendor, Mr Thomas Nimo, who has spent more than 20 years in the trade, recalled when customers used to gather around his kiosk early in the day, waiting for him to open so they could stake their numbers.
Today, however, he says the ‘crowd’ has disappeared.
“Only a few people who are not technological inclined come to buy tickets because they cannot play the lottery game on their phones,” he explained.
Mr Nimo added that some winners occasionally show appreciation by giving vendors a token of their winnings.
“At times some of the customers who we pay for winning the lottery game sometimes gives us a small amount as a sign of appreciation for being truthful to them,” he noted.
For Mr Alfred Nii Lartey, who has operated in Laterbiokorshie for 10 years, the business has simply become a means of survival while he searches for a better opportunity.
He also raised concerns about unlicensed private lottery operators whom some vendors unknowingly work for. When such operators are pursued by the National Lottery Authority (NLA) for breaches such as failure to pay Value Added Tax (VAT), vendors working under them often suffer the consequences.
Mr James Ankamah, a vendor at Tema Station, admitted that the decline in customers sometimes puts pressure on operators.
“Sometimes I am tempted to sell tickets to students because people don’t come to us to buy tickets and play the game,” he said.
Despite the challenges, some vendors believe their services still have a place. Mr Frank Baafi explained that unstable internet connections occasionally force players to return to the kiosks.
He added that trust also keeps some loyal customers coming back, confident that their winnings will be paid promptly.
By Benjamin Arcton –Tettey
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The Ghana Police Hospital will carry out a fumigation and maintenance exercise from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3, 2026.
According to a statement issued by the hospital’s Public Affairs Officer, Chief Inspector Faustina Afia Nunekpeku, the exercise will affect the Eye Clinic, Intensive Care Unit, Specialist Consulting Rooms, Maternity and Labour Ward, Female Ward, Male Ward and the Theatre.
Management of the hospital explained that the exercise is intended to improve safety and hygiene within the facility.
As part of preparations for the fumigation, the hospital said there will be no new admissions at the affected departments from April 30, 2026, to help decongest the units before the exercise begins.
The hospital has therefore appealed to the public and its clients to take note of the temporary arrangements and seek healthcare services at alternative medical facilities during the period.
Management also thanked the public for their understanding and cooperation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
A special intelligence team of the Ghana Police Service has dismantled a robbery gang responsible for a series of violent attacks in the Upper East region, following an intelligence-led operation on April 29, 2026.
The suspects, Awudu Kasim, Malik Baako, Mohammed Amidu, and Wadud Abdul were arrested at their hideout at Zuarungu.
A search at the location led to the retrieval of a G3 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition which had been concealed in the storage compartment of a motorbike that suspect Samsudeen Mohammed and an accomplice known as “DJ”, currently at large, had robbed from a victim. Police also retrieved seven (7) other motorbikes believed to be stolen.
During interrogation, the suspects admitted involvement in a series of robbery attacks across the region. These include an attack on February 2026 along the Zuarungu–Kongo road 4, during which a bus driver, Ussif Abdul Razak, sustained gunshot injuries and lost three fingers, and a separate attack on a cargo truck driver, Mohammed Ibrahim, on the same stretch.
They also admitted to a robbery at the Kejetia mining site at Gbane on 28th March 2026, where a miner, Atani Mark, was robbed of cash and gold, as well as other incidents in the area.
Two suspects, Samsudeen Mohammed and Seidu Safianu, now deceased, sustained gunshot injuries during the operation. Their bodies have been transported to the Police Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.
All four suspects are in custody assisting investigations, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other accomplices, including one identified as “DJ”, who is at large.
The Ghana Police Service has assured the public that all those at large will be arrested to face the full rigours of the law
