Complaint Against West Bengal Lotteries Directorate and Stockist Closed

The Competition Commission (CCI) has closed a complaint that alleged unfair business practices by the Directorate of State Lotteries of West Bengal and the West Bengal Lottery Stockists Syndicate.

The complaint alleged that an agreement between the Directorate and the Stockists Syndicate allowed the latter to buy paper lottery tickets with credit and at a discount, something that the general public and other stockists couldn't do.

The complainant also stated that the West Bengal Lottery Stockists Syndicate is the only company involved in the distribution, marketing, sale and promotion of paper lotteries, and has continued to do so since 2014 without there being any public tender challenging this agreement.

At a hearing, the counsel for the Directorate told the CCI that the tendering process for selecting distributor of state lotteries in West Bengal would start soon.

In response, the Commission requested a status report to be filed within one week of the completion of the tendering process.

Since no case of infringement of the Competition Act has been proven, the case has been closed now, the order said.

In other recent lottery news, Kerala High Court declared the Kerala Tax on Paper Lotteries Act unconstitutional.