The Hindu Business Line : Lottery body asks Kerala Govt to revoke ban

THE All India Federation of Lottery Trade and Allied Industries, the apex body of lottery traders in the country, has urged the State Government to revoke the ban on lotteries immediately as it provides an alternative mode of employment to lakhs in the State.

Speaking to presspersons, the Vice-President of the Federation, Mr M.B. Zaidi, said that the blanket ban on lottery sales in Kerala would result in rampant increase of illegal gambling such as matka and satta. Instead of banning lotteries, the Government should adopt strict regulatory measures in conformity with the law, he added.

The Government had banned all lotteries with the sole intention of circumventing a Supreme Court order, which had held the selective action against online lotteries as illegal, Mr Zaidi said.

The introduction of online lotteries would not affect the sale of paper lotteries, as they are two different forms of lotteries surviving in the market. The reach of paper lottery is more in India than online lotteries. He pointed out that 60 per cent of the market is still in paper lotteries.

Referring to ban on lotteries in the neighbouring States, Mr Zaidi said that it had always backfired as in the case of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka where illegal gambling worth lakhs of rupees was being carried out every day.

The people's spending on lottery in these States has not come down after the ban, but it shifted to matka, he said. While legal lotteries could be controlled, there was no way of regulating matka, he added.

He pointed out that lottery was the only industry in the country which provided the highest employment to the handicapped.

"We are not contesting the Government decision on ban on lotteries as it is a policy matter. But the authorities can give a sympathetic consideration to handicapped unemployed who are living with an income from the sale of lotteries," Mr Zaidi said.

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