Lotto agents threaten national shutdown

Dean Persad, former vice-president of the Electronic Agents Association of TT, said Lotto agents will be writing to Finance Minister Colm Imbert to ask him to consider increasing the commissions paid to them.

He said a petition has been launched to get agents' support for a proposed nationwide shutdown of their terminals if their concerns are not addressed. He said some 238 agents have already signed the petition.

Persad said, since 2005 the commissions paid to agents have been eight per cent of the revenues earned at the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) gaming terminals that they operate. Persad said the agents want to propose an increase in their commissions to 15 per cent of the revenues from their gaming terminals.

He explained the increase will help the agents to better deal with the economic challenges posed by covid19, which has caused a reduction in the number of customers coming to their terminals.

He claimed agents have had their machines deactivated after claims by the NLCB that the agents owe the company money.

Persad said, "In many cases, this is not so, as the finance and accounting department is vastly incompetent and inefficient."

Officials at the Finance Ministry and NLCB could not be reached for comment.