Online lottery a possibility in Goa

The Goa Herald reports that nine companies have so far responded to the Goa government’s tender process aimed at introducing an online lottery to the former Portuguese enclave on the west coast of India.
Officials of the Department of Lotteries declined to furnish to the media any details on the tender papers submitted, however, sources confirmed that nine companies have sent in their bids, and the tender process is now closed.
The online lottery system is seen by government as a good option to generate revenue for the state which has seen higher spending in the last few years. It expects to generate annual revenues of Rs 22-25 crore from the enterprise, sources said.
Apparently the current tendering documents present a more attrractive option to bidders than was the case when a similar exercise was launched two years ago. On that occasion, the government had offered the contract to operate the lottery to a private company against a one-time payment of Rs 25 crore, and had demanded a share from the lottery income. This scared off investors and not a single applicant applied.

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