Ticket sales commenced yesterday, with the inaugural draw scheduled for 24 November.
The Directorate of Small Savings and Lotteries in Goa approved the app-based lottery platform, appointing Rhiti Group as its operator. Speaking to MediaBrief, Arun Pandey, founder of Rhiti Group, highlighted that the new service, branded as Great Goa Games, offers players a “secure and convenient way” to participate. Online lottery regulations were first outlined by the directorate in February 2023.
“Our goal,” Pandey stated, “is to use technology to make opportunities more accessible.”
Currently, 13 Indian states, including Goa—often referred to as “India’s Las Vegas”—permit lotteries. Meanwhile, other states have banned them, citing concerns over gambling addiction, corruption, and operational mismanagement.
Challenges for India’s Lottery Sector
Narayan Gad, a senior Goa government official, expressed confidence in the project, saying the regulated online lottery will “set a new benchmark for transparency and oversight in the lottery industry.” The tech-driven platform aims to improve regulatory standards and operational accountability.
Yet, online lotteries are not without controversy.
MediaNama reports that Kerala once experimented with an online lottery restricted to one weekly draw. However, authorities discovered operators were running multiple draws simultaneously, prompting a complete ban that declared Kerala a “computerized lotteries-free zone.”
Similarly, in Maharashtra, investigations uncovered collusion between government officials and online lottery operators, allowing multiple daily draws, in violation of regulations.
A 2015 Supreme Court ruling upheld Kerala’s ban, citing concerns that lottery terminals could be manipulated. The verdict noted that players lacked assurance their tickets were generated from a legitimate source.
A Shift Toward Modernisation
A 2024 white paper by the Pahle India Foundation (PIF), a nonprofit think tank, highlighted that India’s lottery sector struggles with outdated practices like reliance on paper tickets and physical distribution channels.
“Paper-based lotteries face significant issues,” PIF noted, “including ticket loss during transit, counterfeit tickets, and difficulties in tracking sold, unsold, and defective tickets. Managing these operations at scale creates logistical challenges that risk undermining integrity and compliance.”
The World Economic Forum has labeled India as “the next Silicon Valley,” further underscoring the mismatch between its technological advancements and the antiquated lottery system.
PIF argued that the industry needs to adapt to the widespread availability of smartphones and affordable internet. The lottery sector, they said, must align with the Digital India initiative to improve transparency, efficiency, and player safety.
Revenue Potential and Social Impact
India’s lottery industry generates an estimated $33 billion annually, with the potential to contribute $12 billion in taxes, according to PIF.
The Hans India reported that Great Goa Games will prioritize responsible gaming by offering educational tools to promote safer play. Additionally, the platform will provide transparency by allowing users to track how proceeds are allocated, particularly toward social programs like education and healthcare.
Online casinos are closely monitoring how the lottery progresses.
