South African Lotto

The South African National Lottery is probably one of the most well-loved games in the country. It is the first-ever national lottery game that was introduced on March 11, 2000, and was formerly run by Uthinga. The game became so successful that it sold more than 800,000 tickets on the first day they were made available to all residents.

The national lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and now, it is currently operated by Ithuba Holdings Proprietary Limited, a privately-owned company founded by the Zamani Equity Fund. Ithuba was granted a licence to operate the South African National Lottery on June 1, 2015.

Initially, lottery draws were held only once a week, every Saturday. But shortly after, a second draw was established, which happens every Wednesday. Draws occur at 21:00 on both days and ticket sales end half an hour before the draw. Results are posted immediately after the draw.

Currently, several games are available to play in the national lottery. These games include the Lotto and Lotto Plus, Powerball and Powerball Plus, EAZiWIN, as well as Sportstake 13.

The South African National Lottery has enriched the lives of its lucky players, and it donates a huge portion of its revenue to many worthy causes and deserving charities across the nation. So each time you play, not only do you have a chance to win a huge prize, but you also help in changing the lives of South Africans for the better.

How to play

Playing the South African National Lottery is quite similar to lotteries in other countries. You must be at least 18 years old to play.

Just go any authorised lottery retailer near you and get a valid bet slip.

Select six numbers between 1 and 49, and using a pen or pencil, mark your lucky numbers.

Give the bet slip to the teller and make your payment. One lotto game costs R5.00, and one Lotto Plus game costs R2.50.

You’ll get a receipt along with your chosen lucky numbers. Don’t forget to sign your name on the back.

You also have the option to use Quick Pick, a computer system that can randomly generate a set of numbers for you. Just tell the retailer you want to use this option, or you can indicate it in the bet slip.

To get the jackpot, a player needs to match all of the six winning numbers.

Remember, you can play as many boards as you want. If you want to play the Lotto Plus, just mark off the Lotto Plus option on the bet slip. You can also choose a multi-draw option, which lets you play the same lucky numbers over multiple draws.

Chances of winning

The odds of winning a lottery prize can vary, and more than 13 million combinations can be played when you select six out of 49 numbers.

If there are multiple winners, prizes are equally divided among them. However, if no one wins the jackpot, the grand prize is added to the next draw, which is known as a rollover.

One great thing about the South African National Lottery is that the jackpot can rollover as many times as possible until someone wins it.

How to claim prizes

You can claim prizes up to R2,000 at any authorised lotto retailer. If you win prizes between R2,000 and R5,000, you need to visit the nearest post office. If you win a prize more than R50,000, then you need to claim it at an Ithuba regional office.

Lotto and Lotto Plus players have up to a year from the day of the draw to claim their prize. If unclaimed, roughly 50% of the prize money will be deposited into the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund so it can be distributed to charitable causes.

Lotto draws

During the draw, six numbers are selected from a set of 49 numbered balls, and a bonus ball is also drawn. This bonus ball affects players who match only five numbers.

Watch the lotto draw on SABC2 every Wednesday and Saturday at 21:00 to see the results. Each lotto draw happens live and in the presence of an independent auditor.

To assure fairness and transparency, all procedures and rules are approved by the National Lotteries Commission, and the results of the draw are never predetermined by any human intervention.

Moreover, the lottery machines are regularly tested and certified by Wits University. Lotto balls are also examined after every five draws to ensure they are accurate and consistent concerning to size, shape, weight, material, and texture.