The National Lottery has addressed concerns about the legitimacy of how lottery winners are selected.
After the recent Powerball jackpot winner walked away with R124m after placing a R37.50 wager through a banking app, concerns have been raised about the transparency and fairness of the lottery system.
Some people on social media claimed the system is rigged or a scam, saying winners are usually users of specific banks and not other banking platforms. Others have called for the return of the old system where numbers were manually drawn by a person.
Responding to the complaints on X, the National Lottery said draws are carried out with integrity.
“We are aware of the unfounded claims circulating on social media questioning the legitimacy of National Lottery winners. All draws are conducted in the presence of independent auditors and under surveillance,” the National Lottery said.
“We use certified draw machines and random number generators, tested for fairness and accuracy. There are no shortcuts, no bias and absolutely no preselected winners, only pure chance and integrity.”
It said the recent jackpot winner “is a clear example that anyone can win”.
The Aubrey Tau Foundation has called on the National Lottery to return to live draws in the presence of a reputable audit firm.
“Live draws will not only restore public confidence in Ithuba and the National Lottery Commission (NLC) but further ensure measurers are in place to regulate illegal lotteries and promote responsible gambling,” the foundation said.
“The foundation calls on the NLC and Ithuba to revisit its processes and take South Africans concerns seriously and bring back live Lotto draws. Not having live draws and a reputable audit firm overseeing the process will have dire consequences, including possible rigging of lottery results.”
TimesLIVE
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