NMSA to launch scratch card lottery next week

In less than a week, Saipan stores will start selling scratch card lottery tickets with part of the proceeds going to the Northern Marianas Sports Association’s daily operating cost and the national athletes’ off-island trips.

Pacific Lotteries Ltd. of Australia representative Steve Gibson is on Saipan to assist NMSA in the launching of the scratch card lottery system. He attended last Thursday’s NMSA monthly meeting at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym conference room and made a brief presentation to the board.

Gibson said they were supposed to launch the lottery system in December but it was delayed due to ticket printing problems. He, however, assured that the firm printing it has been known for its integrity and security features printed on the scratch cards.

“The printing is secured and the scratch cards have all the necessary security features to avoid tampering and creating of a fake winning card,” said Gibson, who added that the instant scratch cards are a popular fundraising activity for most National Olympic Committees and non-government organizations.

“We usually do this type of fundraising activity for NOCs and NGOs. The scratch cards are sold in retail stores and we will promote it through TV, radio, and newspaper advertising,” said Gibson.

Scratch card players could win $5, $20, $50 and $100 instantly which can be redeemed from the retail outlet. Pacific Lotteries officials will come to Saipan if someone wins the $1,000 jackpot prize to verify the ticket and award the person the cash prize.

Gibson said they plan to sell the scratch cards in the next three to four months. “But all will depend on the market. We will also change the type of games every three months to give the players variety.”

“A lot of NOCs from other countries are also using the lottery system in raising their funds. We’re hoping to raise as much money as we can to help fund NMSA’s activities and operations. We’ll be working hard to promote this,” said Gibson.

NMSA signed an agreement with Pacific Lotteries of Australia last Oct. 21 to become the distributor of the scratch card tickets in the CNMI. NMSA is the CNMI’s sports governing body and an independent organization that rely solely on funds given by private companies and other sponsors.

Last year, NMSA took over the maintenance and management of the Oleai Sports Complex that houses the track and field facility, football field, Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium, and Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios baseball and Miguel “Tang Ge” Pangelinan softball fields.

NMSA is also at the forefront of resurfacing the Oleai track oval in the hopes of bringing it back to its Level II international certification and hosting the 2017 Micronesian Regional Championships leading to the 2021 Pacific Mini Games on Saipan.

A total of 200,000 scratch cards will be initially sold by 35 stores with the agents to be trained by Pacific Lotteries.

This practice of sports governing bodies getting funds from revenues collected on bingo, casino, lottery, sweepstakes and other games of chance is not new as Australia, Guam, the Philippines, and several other countries do the same.

In the Philippines, its government alone allots 5 percent of the income generated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., from the casinos it operates to finance the country’s sports development programs.