A private company with foreign connections has been given a licence to operate an online lottery including thousands of e-Games terminals from next month – a move that could draw young people, including schoolchildren into gaming. The licence has been given to Oceanic Games (Private) Limited which will operate in collaboration with eGame Solutions, a Hong Kong-based company which markets itself as a global lottery provider.
Apart from the Government-owned Development Lotteries Board (DLB) and National Lotteries Board (NLB) which operate here, Oceanic Games (Private) Limited is the only private concern that has been given a licence to operate in Sri Lanka. Cabinet approval has been granted for the operation of the online lottery which will operate under the brand name Ogames and will make available to the Sri Lankan public games such as lotto, one of the most popular lottery games in the world.
A senior Government source who wished to remain anonymous expressed fears that with lottery operation being privatised, the NLB and the DLB would be hit. Last year the NLB made a profit of more than Rs. 14.5 billion and this year the profit is expected to increase to around Rs. 20 billion.He also said the online lottery in Sri Lanka would be detrimental as it would attract young people, including schoolchildren.
