The Mercury International company formally launched Freetown’s first electronic lottery from its Siaka Stevens Street headquarters on Friday.
Its games, known as Daily Leones and Super Leones, can be played four days a week. The company operates lotteries in six other African nations including Uganda, Togo and Nigeria..
The company’s project manager, Martin Subero, boasted that their lottery system was one of the most successful on the continent.
According to Subero, “the company uses proven procedures with the highest reliability, security and transparency.”
He further explained that the lottery tickets were printed in Germany and contained a series of bar and number codes to ensure security.
“Sierra Leone is one of the last countries to adopt an electronic lottery system,” Subero said.
“(Mercury International) will create employment, assist needy people and make some people wealthy” said the company’s chairman Sumir Hassaneyeh, who noted that five percent of the money the company earns would be donated to charitable causes.
Five hundred to 50,000 Leones can be bet per game on one to five numbers. Daily Leones allows players two chances of winning while Super Leones provides only one chance, albeit with bigger payouts.
Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Tickets may be purchased from authorized company retailers and at coupon terminals where the Daily Leones sign can be seen.
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