Joel Julien
The National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) lost $400 million in revenue in the two months that its operations were shut down because of the measures put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19, NLCB's chairman Eustace Nancis has said.
After the Lotto Plus at 8.30 p.m. on March 28, the NLCB called International Gaming Technology (IGT) and all gaming machines were shut down in response to the government's announcement that only essential services would be allowed to operate.
Initially, the shutdown period was expected to end on April 15.
However, it was only on Monday (June 1) the NLCB games were allowed to resume.
"We have lost total sales to the value of about $400 million," Nancis told the Business Guardian.
"We are back up and running and we're hoping that our employees most importantly are safe, and to provide jobs, and to continue a stable National Lotteries Control Board in order for us to be more efficient in the future and more effective," he said.
The NLCB was established on August 12, 1968 in accordance with Act No. 22 of 1968.
The core responsibility of the NLCB is to promote, organize and conduct national lotteries in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Pursuant to Acts No. 31 and 32 of 1988, the ‘Instant Money Game’ was launched.
In March 1994, the National Lotteries Regulations were amended to include the operation of online games.
Accordingly, in July 1994, the online games ‘Lotto’ (now ‘Lotto Plus’) and ‘Play Whe’ were launched.
During 1995, the Board launched its commercial services using the ‘Via’ brand.
These were followed by ‘Pick 2’ and ‘Donsai’, which were launched in June 1996 and August 1997 respectively. ‘Cash Pot’ was launched in October 1999 and ‘Pick 4’ was launched in November 2012.
These days there are four daily draws for the Play Whe, Pick 2 and Pick 4 games.
The Lotto Plus is drawn twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The Electronic Lotto Agents Association (ELAATT) said it was also hit hard by the two-month shutdown.
"We in dire straits still as it is, so the re-opening has not really eased anything with us we are still fighting up and the money we are making now will have to go in rental payments that were deferred and were short paid," ELAATT director Dean Persad told the Business Guardian.
In a letter dated May 20, ELAATT's president Allen Campbelle wrote NLCB's director Michael Jogee telling of the "financial hardship" the closure has had on its members and asking for assistance.
In that letter Campbelle said as a result of the closure "over 1100 Lotto agents and a further 1,700 workers were immediately impacted."
"The agents' financial burdens are further exacerbated as they continue to be responsible for the protection and care of the NLCB equipment and therefore are duty-bound to ensure that rents are paid to the landlords," the letter stated.
As a result of this the ELAATT called for a "financial grant equivalent to 30 per cent of the total commission earned by each agent for the period January to March 2020 be applied to each agent on or before the resumption of operations," it stated.
Nancis said the NLCB remains in conversation with the ELAATT to see how it can assist.
"We are in communication with the association and they are asking for any assistance that can be given to them but no decision has been made as yet," Nancis said.
Persad said some 150 lotto agents were threatened with termination of lease arrangements because they were not able to repay their rent during the period.
"It's still really bad because it is slow since we re-opened," he said.
Persad said the NLCB assisted agents to file for the Salary Relief grant but to date none of them have received any funding.
"It is really hard for people outside here and we don't have a voice and the people who are making the promises have all the voices," he said.
Persad said some Lotto agents wanted to keep the machines off as a sign of protest.
If things do not improve, Persad said this may be an option later on.
"Our bargaining power is to shut off the machines for a day or two or for a draw or two draws because the government will feel it. They will feel it in the coffers but if you shut down when you are already shut down it makes no difference," he said.
Lotto agents are said to deposit a minimum of $25,000 a week to the NLCB.
Persad said it felt like a slap in the face to agents when the NLCB donated $150,000 to the Living Water Community to assist with its ongoing COVID-19 food drive.
"The NLCB would have made a lot of money in the good times they have something they can work with they have that buffer that they could work with and we did not get anything," Persad said.
NLCB recorded a net profit of $300 Million in 2016/2017.
Persad said the situation is a tricky one now.
"People are out of jobs and they don't have money so some are not going to use the money they have to gamble," he said.
"We are really caught between a rock and a hard place because sometimes people who have little money are the ones who gamble the most with the intention or the hope that they will get more money," Persad said.
"My customers are the people in the lower-income bracket and they do it because they are so desperate because they can't go and get a job outside, so they have a $100 a day so they want to spend $50 dollars on a chance of getting another $200 or $300 which is good enough for them to last them a day or two and then try again," he said.