Fortune for sale?

by Samangie Wettimuny

[email protected]

I walk past him everyday on my way back home from office but never believe that ‘my luck’ is in his hands! Only a few share my view, I know , as I see most of the passers-by stop by his side to try their luck!

For the past 19 years it has been like this for Leslie Botheju who took up the new job as a lottery ticket seller way back in 1989 soon after he resigned from Labour Department where he worked as an office assistant.

Every morning he buys his quota of tickets from his agent, Amarawathi for nine rupees each and at the end of the day his average income would vary between Rs.350/= and 400/=. “ If there is a drop in sales I have to bear the loss. Then my income would be even lower than this”

So it is not only our ‘luck’ that is on sale, but his too. We stop by his side thinking of the possibility of becoming a millionaire , but he awaits our arrival just to earn a few rupees more.

Anyway Botheju admits that most of his colleagues who work as lottery ticket sellers are better off. His income is low because he normally buys a limited number of tickets. “ If tickets remain unsold by the end of the day we can’t return them to the agents. Then we have to wait and see whether we have a prize. Rarely do we ‘win’ that too only a few rupees.”

“After August 28 your profit will be doubled, right? “ I finally put to him the most important question and waited for his response. Botheju responded in the affirmative. “Some of my colleagues say that there will be a drop in sales , but I think (and wish) it won’t be so as the amount they offer for a winner too had doubled.”

But K.K.C. Dinesh, a lottery agent cum seller is of the view that the price increase will perhaps adversely affect the sales. Anyway unlike Botheju, Dinesh normally earns more than Rs.800 daily as a seller in addition to his income as an agent.

The majority of the sellers and agents to whom I spoke both in Colombo and in the outstations believe that doubling the price of lottery tickets would not affect their sales as the value of prizes too has doubled.

“But can’t be sure of anything. It all lies in the hands of the customers.” a lottery seller from Kalutara added while glancing at my purse slyly. He might not know that the decision making power does not lie in the hands of customers!

The Additional General Manager of the National Lotteries Board, Ashok Vitharana sees the decision as timely and appropriate.” Since the prize allocations too have doubled, it will help the winners lead a decent way of life.”

Ten rupees is simply nothing when compared to the prizes of other goods. The last prize revision was in 1988.As the giant in Sri Lanka’s lottery industry, the National Lotteries Board contributes immensely to make people financially stable.

“Not only the customers that benefit, each lottery makes a contribution to its respective ministry. Part of the income gained from “Shrama Vasana” is allocated to the Ministry of Labour.

Also “Suwasetha”, Govisetha, Jaya viru, Supiri Vasana Sampatha, Samurdhi and Sevana make allocations for the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Rana viru Fund, Ministry of Sports and Social services, Samurdhi Ministry and Housing Ministry respectively.

Part of the income from the Mahajana Sampatha and the Vasana Sampatha jointly contributes to the Consolidated Fund.

So far over 4000 dealers have got registered in the Board. But according to Vitharana some of them are not directly involved in the business. The rising cost of living has made them leave the job in search of better sources of income.

“Anyway the price revision was made upon the request of dealers. Fifteen per cent of the price of a lottery ticket normally goes to the agent. That percentage would remain the same.”

With great confidence he maintained that the sales of lottery tickets s would not go down. Even if there is a drop in sales, they can earn the same amount of money by selling just half the tickets they sell now.

Deputy General Manager-Marketing of the Development Lottery Board Anura Jayaratna too holds the same view. Development Lottery Board has 2500 agents registered under them.

The National Lotteries Board and the Development Lotteries Board have an effective monopoly on selling lotteries in Sri Lanka and they will hold a joint press conference on August 25 at the Taj Samudra to educate the media on the revised prices.