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Local
sweep ticket sellers protest foreign lotteries Shouting slogans that accused the former Trade and Commerce Minister and a private conglomerate of bringing them to Sri Lanka, protesters from all corners of the island including Gampaha, Matara, Ratnapura, Galle and Anuradhapura walked from the Fort Railway Station to the Prime Minister's Office at Flower Road to hand over a letter to the PM. "A letter detailing our protest with regard to online lotteries and jackpots was handed over by me to a Director of the Prime Minister's Office, Nihal Dharmadasa. It also included many issues that needs to be addressed in our trade" said president of the Joint Lottery Agents Association, H.M. Herath. The protesting lottery sellers and agents stated that JHU parliamentarian Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, Keerthi Udawatte of the PA and JVP provincial councillor Kanchana Peiris were also present and had backed their demonstration along with several other monks and interested parties. A lottery agent from Gampaha M.A. Chandrawathie said all they ask is that the government grants them relief. "We only get a profit of one rupee from the sale of a lottery ticket. Even if we manage to sell 10, that is barely enough to buy a meal. The government should first pay attention to the development of the local economy", she said. |
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