José Raúl Mulino discussed the cleaning and restructuring process that the LNB will undergo to make the institution transparent.
Panama.- After the National Assembly recommended Saquina Jaramillo as the new general director of the National Charity Lottery of Panama (LNB), the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, expressed his hope that once Jaramillo completes the procedure in the Legislature, she will begin the work of «ordering that small disastrous world that is the National Charity Lottery».
Mulino reminded that the Lottery generates significant income for the country and reiterated the initiation of the cleaning and restructuring process to make the lottery games transparent.
It is worth remembering that the president had already announced his intentions to end the electronic lottery in Panama, known as Lotto and Pega 3, with the goal of improving the efficiency and credibility of the LNB, as, according to the president, this modality «is not a business for the State».
In a press conference held yesterday, Thursday, August 29, Mulino acknowledged that this announcement generated adverse comments from some vendors, but assured that «the National Government will increase, as appropriate, the commission that the ticket sellers take home».
In that sense, he added: «It does not depend on the electronic lottery, it does not depend on that... there is enough profit for the State to avoid depending on other things».
Mulino concluded by affirming that «the National Lottery and the Gordito del Zodiaco will be the only lotteries authorized in the Republic of Panama».
The goal is for technology to be clearly at the service of the players, vendors, and the Government, which receives the benefits. «Let it not be undermined by chimba lotteries», emphasized the Panamanian president.
See also: The gaming industry in Panama grew by 13.5% in the first half
As part of the initiative to make the situation transparent, after receiving the endorsement of the National Assembly, Jaramillo said that the list of holders or owners of ticket books will be disclosed, after an audit that is being carried out is completed. Jaramillo advanced that nationally there are 13,000 ticket sellers and that they have already managed to review about 7,500 from the list.
«We are able, once she is ratified and takes office, to present the list of the holders of these books with the amounts of each one», affirmed Jaramillo at the time she was questioned by the members of the Credentials Committee of the National Assembly and added: «We are going to systematize that list so that it is public through the transparency portal. So that everyone knows who the holders of these books are».
