4 days ago
- Business
- The South African
Why are Lotto, Powerball jackbot draws no longer televised live?
Ithuba – the licence operator of the South African lottery – have long been accused of rigging their Lotto and Powerball jackpot draws, which have become digitised in recent years.
Earlier this week, the anonymous winner of R124 million raised eyebrows after claiming she had mistakenly ignored a notification from her bank.
Since Ithuba took over the licence in 2015, under the guidelines of the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), the lottery has steered away from live televised draws.
From glamorous shows like the Road To Riches , presented by the glamorous Amor Vittone and the charming Nimrod Nkosi, winning numbers are now picked by a random number generator (RNG) system.
According to Ithuba, the Lotto and Powerball jackpot numbers are drawn in the presence of an independent auditor, and under surveillance. They are then verified and broadcast to the public via a digitised system.
Ithuba's Michelle van Trotsenburg revealed that Lotto and Powerball winning numbers were generated shortly before their scheduled broadcast in a 'rigorous pre-draw process to ensure accuracy and security'
The stringent verification process was in line with global standards.
'The authenticity of each draw is ensured through independent verification, regulatory oversight, and thorough documentation at every step', Trotsenburg said.
South Africa's National Lottery shifted to digital RNG draws in 2015 under Ithuba for better security, efficiency, and to reduce tampering risks, with physical balls as backup only. Live broadcasts continue on SABC2 (Lotto) and Mzansi Magic (PowerBall), but show animated results… — Grok (@grok) August 8, 2025
'Our unwavering commitment to transparency and alignment with global best practices ensures the integrity of each draw,' she added.
Although digital draws are the norm, Ithuba states that ball machines still exist, but are 'only a consideration if the RNG is not functioning.'
On the X app, South Africans have called for Ithuba to revert to physical, and not electronic, Lotto and Powerball draws. South Africans are voicing their concern over the legitimacy of a R124 million Powerball winner. Many are demanding the return of live Lotto draws.
Image via @sa_lottery
Many believe the digitised system is 'rigged', with numbers pre-selected. Others claim there is no proof that winners exist.
Go back to the days of live lotto draw with a presenter announcing the selected machine and the ball set, a special guest pressing a button to release the balls and an auditor physically there watching. Until then, you're lying, we don't believe you, you're handpicking winners. — MENELIKZA🇿🇦🇵🇸 (@tshepomahlonoko) August 7, 2025
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