Ithuba calls social media allegations about lotto winners ‘baseless and untrue’

Thabo Shole Mashao (in for John Perlman on 702) speaks with Michelle Van Trotsenburg, Head of Marketing and Corporate Relations at Ithuba.

Listen below:

Social media users have recently been raising questions about lottery winners - alleging that the results are unfair and, in some way, manipulated.

They claim that all big winners since 2020 have been Absa or FNB customers, which Ithuba says is not the case.

“This is completely baseless and untrue.”

- Michelle Van Trotsenburg, Head of Marketing and Corporate Relations - Ithuba

Ithuba issued a statement responding to this, insisting that the National Lottery is fair and transparent and saying winners are determined purely by chance.

They provided a list of nine division one winners since 2020, who have won large jackpots from tickets bought in store or from other banking apps.

They add that FNB and Absa were the first banks to onboard National Lottery games on their platform, meaning it is statistically more likely for winners to have come from those apps.

Van Trotsenburg says Ithuba is obliged to conceal the identity of the winners, unless they give their express consent to share their identity.

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She adds that the systemthey use to draw the numbers works independently of their central lottery system, and they in no way influence each other.

Only after the numbers are shared live do they go through the pool and verify tickets to see if anyone has won, with independent auditors providing oversight.

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