News
Lottery sellers say price rises trigger sales slides
View(s):
A man looks through lottery tickets Pix by Eshan Fernando
By Jayanie Madawala
A month after lottery ticket prices were increased, sellers are feeling the impact of lower sales.
Prices were doubled after Treasury approval was obtained for a decision made by both the National Lotteries Board (NLB) and the Development Lotteries Board (DLB) to increase ticket prices from Rs. 20 to Rs. 40.
Sunil Indrasiri, a sales representative of Colombo West and Colombo Central, said: “It’s been more than 30 to 40 years since I started this job. Sales have been affected on and off by COVID-19 lockdowns.”
H Dayananda
“We have blind and deaf sellers and those with other forms of disability. Families have worked in this industry for over ten to twenty years. I work in Kollupitiya, Kompanna Veediya, Pettah, and surrounding areas. We must also provide for our children during the current economic crisis. Somehow we are coping with the situation, thinking it will be normalised soon. Customers should be given a concession by the authorities.
“There is the National Lotteries Board (NLB) and the Development Lotteries Board (DLB); they can discuss this matter and come to a decision. Everyone bought one, two, or three tickets, but now they don’t. In the past, we used to sell 1,500 tickets, but now we barely sell 750 or 800. Despite fewer ticket sales, we still made the same amount of income as when we sold 1,500 tickets. From the lottery board, 7.50 rupees, and sellers receive 5% as a commission.’’
Ishan Athula, a frequent buyer in Kegalle, said: “I used to buy 20 tickets earlier, but now I buy five. Winning chances are a mere lie, but I still believe one day I will get a chance to win.’’
H. Dayananda, a seller in Pettah, said sales dropped as a result of the price hike. “We can’t endure a day like a rainy day because it’s a terrible loss. From the Government’s perspective, they raise the price and claim that they can’t sell it for 20 rupees since the cost of printing is higher. Even if they don’t print the result sheets, we need to look for them on our own.
Vineetha Ranjani
“We don’t know how long we could operate in this industry in its current state. The prices must be fair to the buyer as well as to us as the sellers. We are unsure if they are attempting to transfer this to another board. I suppose that winning possibilities are rare for larger amounts of money, but I personally think that clients seeking to buy something should be offered smaller chances.’’ D.P.G.R. Balasuriya, a regular buyer, said: “Since Mr. Premadasa’s time, I have been buying tickets. I used to purchase 20; now I only purchase five at most. There were only 20 winning chances for 10 tickets. It’s rare to have 100 winning opportunities. When I think back, it was 30 years earlier and finally reduced. We can’t at least purchase three tickets for 100 rupees. I believe that a change must be made.’’
Vineetha Ranani, a seller at Kompanna Veediya, said, “Previously, we sold 600 tickets. Since technology has been developed, something must exist. We could observe the mechanism in action. I’ve spent thirteen years working in this field. Even though we see on TV how the raffles are being made, there must be a way to do it. The price increase is not an issue if they use that technique to raise their chances of winning as well. The number of individuals who purchased five has fallen to one, but if the odds of winning rise, the price increase is not an issue.’’
Sunil Indrasiri
Hemantha Chandrasiri from Matugama said: “I used to sell 200, now it has dropped to 50. People who felt pity for my status used to buy tickets from me, but now they are not willing to buy because of the price hike.’’
Menura Chathuranga, the NLB assistant general manager of sales, explaining the price increase, said: “The price of paper has risen by about 150% amidst the prevailing shortage of US dollars to import the paper required to meet the local demand. It has risen by at least 3%.
“During the time when the cost of production has gone up, the chairman and the staff of the Development Lotteries Board made efforts to achieve profits in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic while constantly updating marketing plans and strategies. Since 2008, this is the first time we have increased the price of a lottery ticket. In 2017, it was increased to 30 rupees, but it existed only for one-and-a-half months, and the price was revised to 20 rupees.’’
Ishan Athula
He added: “In contrast to other products, we don’t charge VAT from customers; instead, we pay it ourselves in accordance with the Act. We must pay the commission, contribute to the contingency fund, and take operational costs into account when determining the price of a ticket.
“Since this choice has been under debate for more than a year, we have finally decided to raise the price. We have worked hard to improve the number of winners, and as a result, there will be more people who receive first-tier and middle-tier rewards overall. The primary prize, which was previously worth Rs. 100,000, has now been raised to Rs. 200,000 with this increase.
“We are providing winning chances of up to 1 billion to 4 billion rupees. Prizes are available. Eventually, 20, 40, 80, or 2,000 minimum standard winning chances are there. For instance, Mahajana Sampatha’s first prizes of one or two will be given. There are six types of lotteries. Our customers’ needs vary, so we cater to all of their demands with these lotteries. Overall, we are giving 50% winning chances for each and every lottery.
“We are required to provide 47%. But because our consumers are our top priority, we give them the maximum benefits we can. As a result, we give them the best service we can afford. We also offer additional prizes like cars and gold coins. One such lottery is Luck 7. The purpose of this pricing increase is to better serve our devoted clients. With the increase in price, all parties, including our customers, representatives, and prices, are given benefits.’’
With the increase in lottery ticket prices ticket sales have declined.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!