Elvis Krivokura is the MD of Western Lotto last week he told the whole world what Western Lotto is out to do. Below are excerpts of his speech at the inaugural press conference of the lotto company on Monday 10th July 2017.
Western Lotto Nigeria Limited is an entertainment and gaming company with platforms that provide a bouquet of international games for players in Nigeria. Western Lotto is licensed in Nigeria by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission to operate terrestrial and online platforms for gaming activities including lotteries, lotto, instant draw, indoor games, betting and online scratch card games, among others.
We seek at Western Lotto to create opportunities ultimately in employment, wealth and empowerment for people in Nigeria and across Africa. Patrons will derive fun from the games, while there would be job creation on our extended value-chain of distributors, agents, business centres, portals, and several suppliers.
It is important as we commence to make some clarifications and definitions. Our explanation concerns the nature of lottery as entertainment.
Lotteries are number-based games of chance used mainly for entertainment, winning prizes and redistribution of wealth.
The lottery is distinct from gambling. The stakes are very high in gambling. People bet with expensive items including houses, cars, and even wives. A lottery is a numbers game of chance for entertainment and recreation that carries much less risk. Unlike the high stakes of gambling, lottery deals with small stakes. Participants spend small change, like N50 or N100, to win great prizes.
Lotteries are fun, entertaining and can be very rewarding. We offer hope, one of the major propellers of life for human beings everywhere.
There is another consideration. It goes without saying that gambling benefits only those directly involved; it is a winner takes all, whereas the proceeds of the regulated lottery have been used to promote good developmental causes in many countries.
As far back as 20 B.C. when the barbarians attacked China, and the Chinese Government didn’t have enough money to build up their defence, they ran a lottery and raised adequate funds to build up thei defences, including the Great Wall of China, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Can you beat that?
Lotteries in Colonial America played a significant part in the financing of both private and public ventures. Records show that the authorities approved more than 200 lotteries between 1744 and 1776, and they played a significant role in financing roads, libraries, churches, colleges, canals, bridges. In the 1740s, lotteries financed the foundations of Princeton and Columbia Universities. The Academy Lottery helped fund that of the University of Pennsylvania in 1755.
More recently, the UK Lottery made a significant contribution up to the sum of £2.2bn to the hosting by that country of the London Olympics of 2012.
In South Africa, for instance, 82 percent of the population play the lottery, at least, once in a week. In 2012 alone, experts put the lottery share of funds to the country’s finances at about N141.3 billion.
Also in Niger Republic, the proceeds of the lottery were used to build boreholes, fight against desert encroachment, while the many of the lottery winners are sponsored to Mecca to perform Holy Pilgrimages.
Propelled by these laudable initiatives and the need to contribute its quota to national development, some young and dynamic Nigerians established Western Lotto Nigeria Limited in 2015 to carry out the business of lotteries, promos and casinos in Nigeria.
We are committed to promoting global best practices in our \operations as we positively impact lives through good causes. We will be speaking soon on the various initiatives that Western Lotto would be promoting.
Western Lotto Nigeria Limited is a Nigerian company with international partners who have a track record of performance and integrity in the international lottery business.
We are commencing with five games. They are Powerball, Euro Millions, Euro Jackpot, UK Lotto and Mega Millions. Powerball is an American lottery game played every Wednesday and Saturday. Euro Millions is a transnational lottery played across Europe. The Euro Jackpot similarly plays across Europe. UK Lotto is also known as the UK National Lottery. It has served good causes in the UK. Draws for MegaMillions hold on Tuesdays and Fridays. ‘
Our unique offerings also come with the ease of play. Just pick your six (6) numbers correctly, and you are on your way to winning. Once you match three (3) numbers, you start winning.
We also pride ourselves in the privacy, dynamism and accessibility that our platform offers. You can play via USSD, mobile apps, online, shops and terminals.
If you win, we will notify you immediately. You will get a text or email confirming your winning. Your winning code can be paid via the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) of the Quick teller (for smaller amounts), or walk into any bank branch to collect their winnings.
However, if you win big, you come to our Head Office on Victoria Island, Lagos, to receive your money or state however you desire that we pay you.
Elvis Krivokuca (Managing Director ).
