Ecuador: “There won’t be a lottery monopoly”

However, the business has been controlled by the Public Benefit Council of Guayaquil for 120 years, with its products from the National Lottery. “It is not a monopoly, is an excepcional permission because it is allocated to a welfare task”, affirmed this week Werner Moeller, head of the Council.
 
According to Correa, the Lottery was a hoarding. “By law, it is unsustainable to have a lottery monopoly”, he said two weeks ago. Although he promised “not to abandon it”, without explaining the implications of his statement. 
 
Last week, during a visit held in the refurbished facilities of the Civil Registry in Turubamba, in the South of Quito, the President assured that the Public Benefit Council shouldn’t be the only entity that may operate a lottery. Although he said that his organization should not be indiscriminate and that this type of draws should be regulated, “because, in the end, they are games of chance”.

Several authorities have defended the work of the Public Benefit Council of Guayaquil. Among them, the Civil Governor of Guayas, Jimmy Jairala. Last Tuesday, he requested President Correa veto article 172 of the Code. He added that it is not a monopoly, because this figure is used to operate the society financially.
 
“Exclusiveness is to do charity, not for winning money”, commented the officer. Jairala is worried that the Council has no funds in its account and that no institution supports its labour.

According to Moeller, in 2009, the Public Benefit Council had a loss of us$ 45 million in the area of social work and the incomes of the lottery that year just achieved  us$ 31 million. “The Council has hardly have enough funds to cover a part of its loss”. That’s why he rules out that the money from National Lottery serves to get rich or to generate profits.
 
It is planned that lat Friday, according to the legal secretary of the Government, Alexis Mera, the presidential veto was to be delivered to the National Assembly. There, the decision of the government on lotteries and draws is to be known.

This document will pass to debate in the Plenary of the Legislative Power, which will have to have 83 votes to insist in the whole original document or article by article. On the contrary, the text will pass according to the consideration of the President.