The World Lottery Association (WLA) President has confirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting African member states as Ghana positions itself to become the first West African country to host the World Lottery Summit in 2028.
Mr Andreas Kotter, WLA President, led a delegation to Accra on a reconnaissance visit to assess Ghana’s conference infrastructure and readiness to host the biennial global lottery industry event. The delegation included Mr Lucas Esposito, WLA Executive Director, and Mr Francois Pellaud-Pautrot, WLA Events Coordinator.
During interactions with the National Lottery Authority (NLA) leadership, including Director-General Mr Mohamed Abddul Salam and Deputy Director-General Mr Eric Yeboah Wadie, Mr Kotter praised Ghana’s ambitions to become a blueprint organisation for Africa. He pledged personal support for Ghana’s vision to establish a stronger lottery sector footprint across the continent.
Mr Kotter also congratulated the NLA for gaining the trust of the WLA Executive Committee as a viable option for hosting the World Lottery Summit in 2028 and possibly hosting a WLA Executive Committee Meeting in June 2026. He explained that the visit served dual purposes of evaluating Accra’s conference facilities and infrastructure while sending a strong signal of confidence to Africa.
The WLA Executive Committee has discussed multiple times which continent should receive the next summit hosting opportunity, with Africa identified as a region with significant potential requiring support. The World Lottery Summit attracts between 800 and 1,500 attendees biennially and is regarded as the lottery industry’s flagship event.
Mr Kotter, who is also the chief executive officer of WestLotto, the largest lottery company in Germany, and chairs EuroJackpot, a multi-jurisdictional game across 19 European nations, was unanimously elected as WLA President at the General Assembly in Paris in October 2024. He is the first German to hold the position and has stated his commitment to strengthening the WLA as the global exchange and knowledge platform in gambling.
Mr Lucas Esposito serves as WLA Executive Director and General Secretary of the United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS), formerly known as the Global Lottery Monitoring System, bringing extensive knowledge and experience in technology and betting. Mr Francois Pellaud-Pautrot oversees coordination of WLA events.
The delegation’s visit included observing parliamentary proceedings at Ghana’s Parliament House, where they were acknowledged by the First Deputy Speaker, Honourable Bernard Ahiafor. They also met with Samuel Awuku, Member of Parliament for Akuapim North Constituency and immediate past Director-General of the NLA, to discuss strategies for combating illegal lottery activities and promoting responsible gaming, particularly concerning underage gambling.
Ghana could become the first West African country to host the World Lottery Summit in 2028 if approved by the WLA Executive Committee. The NLA has demonstrated its capacity to host major international events, having recently organised the African Lotteries Association (ALA) Board of Directors meeting in Accra in December 2025. The Authority also hosted the ALA Seminar on Responsible Gaming in December 2022, which featured Madam Rebecca Paul, the immediate past WLA President, and Ms Lynne Roiter, General Secretary, alongside other leaders from WLA, European Lotteries and ALA. That event attracted over 150 delegates from North America, Europe and Africa.
Mr Abdul-Salam expressed gratitude for the visit and the honour of being considered for the summit. He emphasised that the physical presence of the WLA President to experience Ghana’s offerings firsthand represents a treasured memory for the NLA Management.
The next confirmed World Lottery Summit will take place in Sydney, Australia, from 9 to 12 November 2026, hosted by The Lottery Corporation. The most recent summit was held in Paris, France, from 21 to 24 October 2024, hosted by La Française des Jeux.
