Ithuba Holdings clarifies misconceptions surrounding South African National Lottery Licence process
IOL Ithuba Holdings has addressed several misconceptions that have emerged regarding the current South African National Lottery Licence process.
Ithuba Holdings has addressed the misunderstandings that have emerged regarding the ongoing South African National Lottery Licence process.
As the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition prepares to oversee the awarding of the Fourth Licence, Ithuba aims to clarify critical aspects of the matter to enhance public understanding and confidence in the process.
"Central to Ithuba's message are four primary points of clarification, addressing what they deem as misconceptions that could undermine trust in the lottery system," said Ithuba CEO, Charmaine Mabuza.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
7 hours ago
- IOL News
Ithuba Holdings addresses false claims regarding National Lottery transition
Ithuba Holdings, the temporary National Lottery licence holder, has taken action to correct misleading information about the transition to its new lottery system, which begins on June 1. Image: Pixabay Ithuba Holdings (RF) (Pty) Ltd, the officially appointed temporary licence holder of the National Lottery, has taken proactive steps to clarify several misleading statements regarding the transition to its new lottery operating system that is set to take effect on June 1. These statements come in light of claims made in a recent news article. The company asserts that their transition has been executed efficiently and in accordance with the established transition plan, crediting the process as one of the most effective system transitions in both local and global lottery operations. 'Our transition has featured a seamless integration across all major banking partners, including FNB, Capitec, Standard Bank, Nedbank, Absa, and others. Additionally, the new system boasts full functionality across mobile and telecom networks, with major players like MTN and Vodacom fully onboard," Ithuba said in a statement. Furthermore, Ithuba reported that all e-commerce platforms, including the National Lottery website, mobile app, and USSD services, are fully operational, serving over 250,000 devices nationwide. While acknowledging that isolated technical adjustments were necessary at specific retail sites, a standard aspect of any large-scale technological transition, Ithuba emphasised that these incidents were logged, monitored, and promptly addressed by trained field teams. 'We extend our sincere appreciation to our National Lottery partners—retailers, technical vendors, banking institutions, and telecom networks—whose support has been critical in allowing South Africans to continue enjoying their favourite lottery games during this significant transition,' the company stated. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading In response to concerns raised by retailers, Ithuba maintains that reports of countrywide outages or pervasive failures are exaggerated. The company has reiterated its commitment to providing retailer support and ensuring technical teams are consistently available to offer on-the-ground assistance. Addressing concerns over software ownership, Ithuba highlighted that the Paytronix Lottery System is Africa's first locally developed and fully certified lottery system, meeting the highest global standards, including ISO and World Lotteries Association (WLA) security certifications. This innovation positions South Africa at the forefront of lottery technology in the region. Ithuba took particular issue with insinuations of impropriety linked to family associations within their operations, labelling such claims as speculative and misleading. 'These distract from the significant performance merits of our new system,' they said. As the interim operator of the National Lottery, Ithuba is committed to making meaningful contributions to good causes across South Africa while upholding the highest standards of responsible gaming. The company encourages media stakeholders to report responsibly and refrain from amplifying isolated incidents or unfounded speculation without robust factual basis. IOL
The Citizen
16 hours ago
- The Citizen
Retailers complain as Ithuba claims ‘seamless transition'
Retailers say lottery terminals are failing across South Africa, raising questions about the controversial emergency licence granted to Ithuba. In spite of complaints by retailers and the public of problems with the sale of lottery tickets since a switchover to a new operating system on 1 June, Ithuba Holdings says it has 'implemented a seamless transition in accordance with the approved transition plan'. The problems resulted in people complaining on Facebook after the switch to the new software, as they were unable to buy tickets at many retail outlets countrywide. Problems since switchover Retailers in Durban, Johannesburg and Cofimvaba, a village in Transkei, confirmed they had experienced problems since the switchover. Both retailers and customers complained that terminals in many outlets across South Africa were either slow, or out of order for days on end. Online ticket sales and sales via bank apps do not appear to have been affected. Ithuba said complaints by some retailers that the 'old system' was 'much better than the new one were baseless'. 'Ithuba has achieved one of the smoothest system transitions ever recorded in the lottery industry, both locally and internationally,' the operator said. 'Ithuba transitioned seamlessly on 1 June, with all banking partners (Capitec, FNB, Absa, Standard Bank, Tyme Bank, Nedbank, African Bank, and Old Mutual), handheld partners, telecom partners (Vodacom and MTN), and e-commerce platforms (website and mobile apps) – supporting over 250 000 devices nationwide.' ALSO READ: You can still play Lotto today, after last minute announcement Controversial emergency licence Ithuba Holdings has operated the SA lottery for the past 10 years, the maximum stipulated in the Lotteries Act and had not bid for the new fourth licence or the temporary one. A sister company, Ithuba Lottery, applied for the temporary licence, but instead, Ithuba Holdings was controversially awarded a 12-month emergency licence by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau, who has oversight of the lottery. Tau has yet to explain why he awarded the licence to a company that had not applied for it. The licence was awarded despite two damning court rulings. Tau has used a 2015 amendment to the Lotteries Act, which gives the minister wide powers in certain circumstances. The new software, Paytronix, which is owned by Ithuba, appears to be the cause of the problems since the switchover. Both Eric and Ben Carlos Mabuza, the husband and son of Ithuba CEO Charmaine Mabuza, are directors of Paytronix. For the past 10 years, the lottery has been run on software owned by International Game Technology (IGT), which is a software provider for numerous lottery operators worldwide. Fallout from legal battles and contract chaos The National Lotteries Commission took Ithuba to court in 2021, when it unsuccessfully tried to oust IGT as its software provider and replace it with Paytronix. ALSO READ: It's math! Here's why you're struggling to win the Lotto This led to a strained relationship between the two companies. When IGT's contract with Ithuba ended on 1 June, IGT declined to extend its contract for the temporary licence, The Citizen has reliably learned. IGT had partnered with Wina Njola in its unsuccessful bid for the new SA lottery licence. This left Ithuba scrambling to upgrade thousands of retail terminals countrywide. There were 16 790 terminals in retail outlets in 2022, according to the National Lotteries Commission's annual report for that year. Ithuba's support line has been inundated with calls from retailers complaining about problems, The Citizen was told. 'Seamless transition' 'Ithuba has implemented a seamless transition in accordance with the approved transition plan. All Ithuba terminals have a dual Satadom (hardware inside retail terminals), one with IGT software and the other with Paytronix software,' Ithuba said in response to questions from The Citizen. 'On 1 June, the terminals were re-routed to the Paytronix Satadom, and our technical teams are in the process of removing the IGT Satadoms. 'Transitions inherently involve a series of technical and hardware adjustments, and Ithuba's field support teams were prepared and positioned to deal with potential cases.' NOW READ: Lotto and Lotto Plus results: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Lotto Draw: Win R97 Million Tonight
The next Lotto millionaire could be made tonight. The latest Lotto and Lotto Plus draws have a combined estimated jackpot of R97 million. The draws are set for 8.57 pm on Wednesday, 11 June. Detailed jackpots for tonight's draw: Lotto tonight: R70 million Lotto Plus1: R16 million Lotto Plus2: R11 million The previous Lotto draw had no winners in the top two divisions. Will the Lotto tonight bring you luck? How to play Lotto You can play the Lotto / Lotto Plus 1 / Lotto Plus 2 games by choosing a Quick Pick option, where the lottery processing system randomly chooses six lucky numbers for you. Alternatively, a bet can be placed by a person choosing six numbers from 1 to 52 on any of the boards. ALSO READ: Lotto and Lotto Plus results: Saturday, 7 June 2025 There is no limit to the number of boards a person wants to play, and the system also allows a multi-draw option. This option allows you to play the same numbers over multiple draws. How much does it cost to play Lotto? Lotto entries cost R5 per board, including VAT. Lotto Plus costs an additional R2.50 per board. Players can also use their respective banking apps to place their bets. Terms and conditions apply. Ticket sales close at 8.30pm daily. What happens after winning? All winners receive an SMS from their banks containing a reference number and further instructions regarding what documents to take along when visiting the lottery operator, Ithuba. If a winner wins less than R250 000, the money will be deposited directly into their account if they used a banking app to play. Players who win more than R250 000 will be referred to the Ithuba for a payout. Free financial and trauma counselling is offered to those who win more than R50 000. Winnings are tax-free. ALSO SEE: Daily Lotto results: Tuesday, 10 June 2025 The national lottery also gives you a chance to win money every day from the Daily Lotto. The draw takes place every evening just after 9.30pm. Tickets for the Daily Lotto can be bought every day until 8.30pm. How to play Daily Lotto in SA? If you are buying a ticket in-store: Pick up a betslip in any lottery store. Choose five numbers between 1 and 36, or request a Quick Pick. Entries cost R3 each. You can play a max of R150, but you are allowed to play multiple boards. Select how many consecutive draws you wish to enter, up to a maximum of 10. Leave blank for a single draw. Take your betslip to the teller to pay for your ticket. Write your details on the back of your ticket in case you need to claim a prize. If you do not sign your ticket, and you lose it, anyone can use it to claim the prize. If you are playing online: Set up a lottery account and make a deposit to pay for tickets. Choose five numbers from 1 to 36 or select 'Quick Pick' to generate a random set. Repeat this on as many boards as you want to play. Decide whether to enter a single draw or multiple draws. Confirm and pay for your entry. All players must be 18 years and older.
