Indian gamblers can now try their luck on fully online lotteries.
The lottery industry aims to increase transparency in the sector, which is often accused of mismanagement or fraud.
The Goa Small Savings and Lottery Management Board has approved the app-based platform, authorizing Rhiti Group as the operator. The group's founder, Arun Pandey, told MediaBrief that Great Goa Games will offer players a "safe and convenient" way to play. The management board issued rules for managing online lotteries in February 2023.
He said, "Our mission is to democratize opportunities through technology."
Currently, 13 states including Goa, known as the "Las Vegas of India," allow lottery games. Other states ban them due to concerns over gambling addiction, mismanagement, or corruption.
Indian Lottery Industry in Disarray
Narayan Gad, the head of the Goa state government, stated that regulated games will "set new standards for the lottery industry. Technology-based products will enhance transparency and ensure better monitoring and regulation of operations."
However, online platforms are hard to shield from accusations of fraud and manipulation.
According to the tech website MediaNama, Kerala once offered online lotteries, but they could only be drawn once a week. After government officials discovered multiple lotteries operating simultaneously, the service was halted. The subsequent ban made Kerala a "no online, no internet, no computerized lottery zone."
Similarly, law enforcement in Maharashtra found evidence suggesting collusion between government officials and online lottery operators to hold multiple lottery events in a single day.
In 2015, the Supreme Court upheld the Kerala ban, noting that ticket terminals could be tampered with. Thus, players could not be assured that their tickets were issued from legitimate servers.
Keeping Up with the Times
According to a 2024 white paper by the non-profit think tank PIF, the Indian lottery industry relies too heavily on paper tickets and physical retailers, failing to keep pace with the times.
"Paper tickets are prone to being lost during transport, being sold defective or counterfeit, and the difficult and arduous task of keeping records of tickets (sold, unsold, and defective)," the report states. "Handling large volumes of transactions... poses serious logistical challenges, compromising integrity and compliance, and could lead to corruption."
Furthermore, the World Economic Forum describes India as the "next Silicon Valley." PIF states that the country's high-tech culture is inconsistent with low-tech gaming applications.
Focusing on paper tickets "means the Indian lottery industry has not fully capitalized on the increasingly widespread use of smartphones and affordable internet." The industry "has yet to align with the vision of Digital India, even though it is more transparent, efficient, compliant, and enhances player protection."
Broader Benefits and Revenue Potential
PIF estimates the Indian lottery generates annual revenues of $33 billion (₤26 billion/€31 billion), with potential taxes of $12 billion.
Hans India points out that the Great Goa Games will emphasize responsible gambling through educational resources, helping participants gamble safely. "Moreover, online lotteries will ensure operational transparency, allowing users to track the use of lottery proceeds, especially for funding social projects such as education and healthcare."
