As luck would have it... on social media

Lotteries dept planning to make trade transparent; FB, Insta, Twitter handles to be made lively
Image used for representational purpose only. (File | Photo)
Image used for representational purpose only. (File | Photo)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state lotteries department is planning a social media plunge to make the trade more transparent. It would be a big intervention through shorts, reels, posters and trolls to create awareness on various processes associated with lotteries - from printing to drawing and prize distribution. Flagging malpractice like virtual trade of tickets and debunking myths related to draws are other aims, said an officer.

The department’s YouTube channel is gaining traction among lottery lovers and the number of subscribers is increasing at a steady pace. At present, it conducts live telecasts of daily and bumper draws and has over 14.5 K subscribers. The department is awaiting permission from the government to monetise the channel.

“The primary function is to conduct live telecasts of draws. Videos on daily draws get an average of 4,000 views. Next, we plan an expansion - to utilise the channel to fight fraudulent sales practices and bust superstitions and misunderstandings among customers. Some examples are malpractices like sale of virtual tickets over social media or messenger platforms or prediction of winning numbers in an upcoming draw,” the source said.

A couple of YouTube channels that do not have any link with the department are making good fortune by giving instant results of the draw.

“Many of them rely on the department’s channel to provide live information. Quite often they take our channel’s screenshots and commentary. One of them has over 60 K subscribers. We are planning to sue such channels,” the officer said. 

The department will produce shorts, reels, troll videos and memes flagging fraud and promoting safe practices. An in-house team will be formed for production. Talented staffers will act in the shorts and other promotional materials. C-Dit will give technical support to the initiative. The Facebook, Insta and Twitter handles of the department will also be made more lively. 

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