Lottery Operations See Major Changes Under Government Management

Tonight, we turn our attention to Boledo and Lottery, which has undergone significant changes since the government took over its operations last year. We’ll be examining the rules of popular lottery games, and how the company has advanced its operations through digitization and system improvements. The Managing Director and Chair of the Lotteries Committee appeared on The Morning Show and gave the latest updates. Reporter Vejea Alvarez tells us more.

Vejea Alvarez, Love News:  The nightly Boledo and weekly lottery and jackpot drawings have long been a fixture in Belizean society, offering excitement and the chance to win big. In 2023, the Belize Government Lottery’s Limited took over the games of chance. Since then Chair of the Lottery’s Committee Narda Garcia says the state-owned company has embarked on a series of digital changes aimed at modernizing its operations and ensuring greater transparency and efficiency. 

Nara Garcia, Chair, Lotteries Committee: “We ensure that we stick to the processes that the license requires in terms of ensuring that the machines are checked, that the gaming machine the balls that you see are weighed every day, that they are…..we brought in people from abroad to ensure that they’re certified and the randomness we ensure that the public, the buying public is getting value for its money. In in no way that we can say that anybody is playing or doing anything to the machines to the balls or in any random way putting any specific number to play it. It’s just the game.” 

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: The company will be auditing sales for its first fiscal year to enhance the integrity of its operations according to managing director of the BGLL, Janel  Esat. 

Janel Espat, Managing Director, BGLL: “We’re in the process right now of conducting the financial audit for the fiscal year that ended on March 31st.”

Troy Gabb, Host, The Morning Show: Do you have an external auditor ? 

Janel Espat, Managing Director, BGLL:  “Yes, we do.”

Troy Gabb, Host, The Morning Show: For transparency, who is the external auditor? 

Janel Espat, Managing Director, BGLL: “It’s Moore Belize. So that should be finished within the next month or so. And I believe that information will be made public.”

Troy Gabb, Host, The Morning Show: And that will be a partial audit because it wouldn’t be a full year.”

Janel Espat, Managing Director, BGLL:  “No it would not. It would be for the fiscal year that ended on March 31st.”

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: To ensure the profitability of the games, Espat says the company has put guardrails in place like putting a sales limit of 200,000 pieces on any number, which explains why numbers can be sold out. 

Janel Espat, Managing Director, BGLL: “It’s customary. It has always been done. It just was done differently. So previously, when you show up to a store to purchase your lottery, if the limit had already been reached, the shop owner would simply inform the customer that there was no more of that number available for sale. So what we have done at BGLL is that we have implemented a feature within our system. So once the number of pieces that have been predetermined, the predetermined limit has been met, then it would impede any further sales.”

Troy Gabb, Host, The Morning Show: Is that done electronically?

Janel Espat, Managing Director, BGLL:  “It is.”

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: The BGLL has 472 sub-agents and two sales distributors, who are ultimately the ones that should pay out large winnings if the sub-agents aren’t able to do so.

Janel Espat, Managing Director, BGLL:  “Generally, wherever you purchase your ticket from is where you should redeem your prizes at. There is some exceptions sometimes and in the event that a subagent is unable to make the payout if it’s a very large winning then the distributors then handle the payout.”

Rene Villanueva, Host, The Morning Show: Ultimately, you are responsible for the payout, right? 

Janel Espat, Managing Director, BGLL: “Yes, yes. We reimburse. They pay it upfront but BGLL reimburses the sales distributors who in turn reimburse the sub agents.”

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: Apart from improving regulations and operations with technology and data, the BGLL is exploring ways of enhancing the customer experience by putting the power to purchase Boledo at your fingertips. 

Janel Espat, Managing Director, BGLL:  “What we are in the process of discussing right now is the possibility of expanding sales to allow for mobile sales to take place.”

Troy Gabb, Host, The Morning Show: What do you envision? 

Janel Espat, Managing Director, BGLL: “So what would happen is that you would be able to purchase the Boledo on your mobile device.”

Troy Gabb, Host, The Morning Show: Using Ekyash cash or Digi Wallet or… 

Janel Espat, Managing Director, BGLL:  “Yes, exactly. And that’s exactly the people that we’re in discussions with at this time.”

Vejea Alvarez, Love News: The BGLL says it may also be exploring whether it could establish a new game that would generate income to fund the country’s expanding NHI program and charitable fund.