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The National Lotteries Authority (NLA) in collaboration with Ministry of Youth and Sports on Friday unveiled new products dubbed: Sports Lottery in Accra. The NLA has also launched a Mobile Lottery Platform which allows patrons to register and download its 5/90 Odd Games Applications onto their smart phones and play the games using funds from their mobile wallet. Brigadier-General Martin Ahiaglo, Acting Director General of NLA, said the introduction of the new products forms part of the NLA�s commitment to diversify its product portfolio and channels of distribution which would help mitigate the associated risks of aging customers and wrong perceptions about lottery and its patrons. He said since football is Ghana�s favourites sports, it is important that the NLA develop sports lottery to sell to the teeming fans. He explained that the focus of NLA is to operate a sports product theme around the character of lottery rather than betting, adding that the intention is to keep the predictability and odds high and still maintain a high level interest. He said the Sports Lottery game would be available for sale through existing point of sale terminals network operated by Lotto Marketing Companies and through the newly introduced Mobile Lottery Platform. Brig-Gen Ahiaglo said the new products would be piloted for a month to enable the NLA assess its performances before launching it at the commercial level. He urged the media to educate the public to help demystify lottery in the country. Mr Mahama Ayariga, Minister of Youth and Sports commended the NLA for showing commitment and support to ensure that the sports lottery game comes to fruition. He said the quest by the Ministry to establish the lottery was underpinned by its objective of exploring more sustainable sources of funding for sports development. He expressed the hope that the introduction of the initiative would generate a lot of excitement among sports enthusiasts and other stakeholders which in the long run would provide an impetus for the local league to become competitive. �I therefore wish to take this opportunity to invite the Ghanaian public to give serious consideration to the invaluable role of sports in national development and give full support to the national sports lottery by patronising it,� he said. He said money to be accrued with the game would be used to enhance sports infrastructural development as well as supporting development of the less endowed sporting disciplines. With the sports lottery game, pools of 12-16 matches are created in advance involving local, regional and international matches. The game involves selection of the home team or away team winning or the match ending in a draw. As the matches progressed, results are declared and the excitement builds up as predictions for the lucky ones come true.