Winners should remain calm, bearing in mind that all winning tickets have a life span of 365 days before they expire.
CAPE TOWN – Ithuba Holdings, the official operator of the National Lottery in South Africa, on Sunday urged Lotto jackpot winners to keep their tickets safe, as they would only be able to claim after the national lockdown.
Ithuba said in a statement that winners should remain calm, bearing in mind that all winning tickets have a life span of 365 days before they expire. “We also understand that the winners could be overwhelmed with anxiety, particularly because they have to wait longer than usual before they can claim. We want to assure winners that we are prepared to assist them through a smooth claiming process once we are able to.”
The National Lottery operator said in light of the Covid-19 lockdown, Ithuba had implemented effective measures in compliance with government’s interventions to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.
“While we have locked up our offices nationwide, our products and key personnel remain accessible to the public. Our staff have been equipped to continue serving the nation during the lockdown period. This means that although our offices are closed, we are in no way shut, as we are able to ensure Lottery operations remain functional and that staff are able to support players remotely,” the company said.
Ithuba said the company was in full support of the government’s measures put in place to promote social distancing and urged retailers to adhere to these measures with the same sense of importance. “We have issued clear communication to all our retail partners, emphasizing the importance of social distancing and hygiene.”
While there has been a decline in retail sales, the Lottery operator said digital platforms were doing phenomenally well, which was a further testament that players were heeding the call to play their favourite Lottery games online. “It is also crucial for us to maintain our mandate of raising maximum funds that are utilised for socio-economic development, especially at this crucial time.
“The well-being and satisfaction of our players remain important to us. Since the lockdown was announced, our marketing messaging has been directing players to play their favourite Lottery games online, on the National Lottery Mobile App which is easily downloadable on all smartphones,” said the gaming company.
Players can also access Lottery games on the digital platforms of our banking channel partners namely Absa, FNB, Standard Bank and Nedbank.
“Our players have supported the National Lottery for years, and we wish to honour their loyalty by remaining accessible to them. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all winners who have won from various Lottery games during the lockdown, including the Lotto millionaire winners of R7 Million, R10 Million and R5 Million jackpots.”.
– BUSINESS REPORT
