The general administrator of the Consumer Protection and Competition Defense Authority (Acodeco), Ramón Abadi, sharply warned that selling lottery tickets above the official price is an illegal practice in Panama and will be sanctioned by law.
“The price is marked on the ticket and must be respected,” stated Abadi, emphasizing that the printed cost is the only legal value the consumer must pay.
How to report overcharging in the lottery?
The official indicated that any citizen who pays an amount higher than the established one must file a complaint with the National Lottery. Then an administrative process is initiated, it will be investigated, and if the fact is proven, the lottery booklet is taken from the owner because he violated the regulations,” the administrator detailed to Radio Panamá.
Inspection and consumer protection
Abadi recognized a recurring problem in the country's streets: “Ticket scalpers raise prices all the time, and that is illegal,” he warned.
Although the National Charity Lottery currently lacks an inspection department with the necessary scope to eradicate these practices, the head of Acodeco pointed out that both institutions have been working collaboratively for a year to address the issue.
Finally, he stressed that institutional controls are being strengthened to ensure transparency in the gambling market and to protect Panamanian consumers from abuses in the sale of chances and tickets.
Abadi explained the administrative procedure that is activated after a report is filed: “If they sell you a ticket for more than the established amount, what you have to do is go and report it to the Lottery.”
