Mahama orders full review of NLA–KGL lottery deal
By DL News
Published
2 min read
In a directive dated 24 December 2025 and addressed to the Ministry of Finance, the President called for the agreement to be re-examined to guarantee value for money, safeguard the public interest and ensure strict adherence to Ghana’s lega...
President John Dramani Mahama has instructed that the National Lottery Authority’s (NLA) contract with KGL Technology Limited, signed in 2024, be thoroughly reviewed and, where necessary, renegotiated.
In a directive dated 24 December 2025 and addressed to the Ministry of Finance, the President called for the agreement to be re-examined to guarantee value for money, safeguard the public interest and ensure strict adherence to Ghana’s legal and policy framework. The letter was copied to key stakeholders, including the presidency and relevant sector ministries.
The move follows a series of investigative reports by The Fourth Estate in 2025, which raised questions about the legality, financial structure and procedure underpinning licensing arrangements between the NLA and the KGL Group. The reports alleged significant gaps in compliance and transparency around the deals.
According to the President’s directive, the review is expected to cover the legal foundation, scope, duration and commercial terms of the contract. It will also assess revenue-sharing arrangements, commissions, fees, exclusivity clauses and any contingent liabilities that may expose the state to undue risk.
The team is further required to determine whether the contract complies with the Constitution, the Public Procurement Act, the National Lottery Act and all necessary statutory and regulatory approvals. The review will also scrutinise performance obligations, transparency provisions, data ownership, audit rights and any clauses that may unduly limit state oversight or weaken regulatory control.
All parties involved have been urged to cooperate fully by granting unrestricted access to the contract documents, addenda, correspondence, financial records and operational data to enable a comprehensive assessment.
The Attorney General, working with the Minister for Finance and the minister responsible for the NLA, has been tasked to constitute a joint technical team to lead the review and submit recommendations to the President. Where grounds are established for renegotiation, the team is expected to secure improved fiscal returns for the state, enhance governance and accountability, protect regulatory authority and align the agreement with government policy and international best practice.
In 2024, the NLA signed three separate licensing agreements with the KGL Group. One granted KGL a 15-year exclusive licence to operate the NLA’s flagship 5/90 game online and via USSD in Ghana. Two additional 10-year licences gave KGL exclusive rights to run the same 5/90 product online and via USSD in Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire.
