WHILE the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) said on Tuesday that 90 per cent of Lotto operators had reopened last Monday, the agents association said up to a quarter of their members had not reopened owing to various problems. During the pandemic, outlets had been shut since May 17 to try to curb the spread of covid19, but with 425,422 people now with their first vaccine and 242,543 fully vaccinated, the Government has moved to restore commercial activities like Lotto plus a resumption of retailing next Monday.
Online Gaming Agents Association president Dean Persad told Newsday that agents were now “extremely happy” to be reopen and had enjoyed a “big rush” on Monday.
However, he estimated 70-75 per cent had reopened, while the rest stayed shut for different reasons.
“Unfortunately there were some agents who were not able to operate. One, we are having a lot of technical difficulty with some of the machines, being put down for so long.”
While two agents had earlier told him their machines were down, he said technicians were thinly spread in visiting booths nationwide.
He said some booths were shut owing to indebtedness to NLCB, while others were located in closed venues such as bars or malls.
While not condoning indebtedness, Persad asked for the NLCB’s compassion over agents using funds owed to the NLCB to simply stay afloat during the closure.
“In most cases these were people who were renting locations and had to pay the rent to keep NLCB machines intact as well. If they were evicted it would mean the NLCB would have to come and remove the machine or the agent would have to get the machine out and keep it home which is an illegal thing to do. So they were in bind, a real bind.
“We are just asking to work out a plan with them. Let them sign an agreement and reactivate the machine rather than keep it down.
“On average, an agent will give you $25,000-$30,000 in weekly sales.
“And most of us exceed that, (making) $35,000-$40,000 on a slow week. So NLCB will now be losing that money if the machines are down.” Agents too would lose.
“It’s a loss-loss situation.” Persad reckoned 150 machines had been deactivated owing to liability to NLCB, out of the 1,200 agents nationwide. Let agents work to pay their debts, he urged.
He hoped NLCB Chairman Eustace Nancis would reply to his letters seeking a meeting.
Nancis told Newsday Monday was an “excellent first day” of reopening. “It was smooth with no hiccups. Ninety per cent of all the agents were operating. A couple will start back in the course of the week. It went smoothly. Punters were happy to go back to start to play some games. I think we had an excellent first day start up with the lottery gaming system.
[caption id="attachment_906559" align="alignnone" width="531"] ONLINE Gaming Association president Dean Persad -[/caption]
“A couple/few didn’t start back. I don’t know why. Maybe they were not 100 per cent prepared, but beyond that it was an excelle
