Are the viral lottery rigging claims true? Here’s Ithuba’s response

South Africa’s National Lottery operator Ithuba, together with the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), has issued a firm rebuttal to online allegations suggesting that recent lottery draws favour certain banks or insiders. The accusations, which gained traction on platforms such as TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), claim that all high-value winners since 2020 have come from Absa and FNB accounts.

Viral posts alleged that Ithuba is deliberately favouring clients of the two banks, pointing to apparent patterns in major PowerBall and Lotto wins. Some users demanded the return of televised live draws, arguing that digital random number generators (RNGs) lack transparency. The narrative intensified after a player using the Absa banking app won a R124.6m PowerBall jackpot earlier in August, which reignited older rumours and prompted widespread online debate.

Hashtags linking the lottery to corruption began trending and, in many cases, blurred the line between the draw process and unrelated investigations into grant funding irregularities. Posts dating back to late 2024 resurfaced and were shared widely, amplifying public mistrust.

Ithuba described the claims as “misleading and factually incorrect.” Michelle van Trotsenburg, Ithuba’s Head of Marketing and Corporate Relations, said winners represent a wide demographic across provinces, towns and both urban and rural communities. “Every ticket purchased has an equal chance of winning, regardless of which channel or bank it is bought through,” she said.

The operator explained that Absa and FNB were among the first banks to integrate lottery services on their platforms, which meant that historically a greater number of winners came through those channels. However, Ithuba emphasised that winners have emerged from a range of banks and retail outlets as other banking partners onboarded and digital adoption grew. The company noted that banking platforms now account for roughly 60% of sales, a reflection of changing consumer behaviour rather than preferential treatment.

The NLC backed up Ithuba’s position, pointing to the strict controls governing every draw. Commissioner Jodi Scholtz underlined that the regulator oversees the integrity of the lottery but does not itself conduct draws. Since 2017, draws have been performed using a secure RNG system that operates independently from the lottery’s central database.

The NLC said independent auditors verify the RNG system before each draw and that results are only published once audits are complete. Scholtz noted that while there is public appetite for live draws, RNGs are internationally recognised for reducing human involvement and removing risks associated with mechanical ball machines, which can suffer faults during live broadcasts.

Public confusion has been exacerbated by concurrent Special Investigating Unit (SIU) inquiries into alleged corruption within the NLC related to grant distribution. The SIU has uncovered instances of funds intended for community projects being diverted for personal use by former board members and associated parties.

The NLC stressed these investigations relate to the allocation of grants and do not implicate the integrity of the draw process. “The SIU matters concern historic irregularities in funding allocations,” Scholtz said. “They do not speak to how lottery numbers are generated or verified.”

To demonstrate its commitment to transparency, Ithuba supplied examples of Division One winners since 2020 who purchased tickets via diverse channels — from retail stores in Benoni, Bitou and Manenberg to digital purchases through multiple banking apps. The operator also highlighted its wider impact: since assuming the licence in 2015, Ithuba says it has created hundreds of millionaires and contributed more than R15.4bn to the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund to support social and community causes across the country.

Responding to calls for greater openness, Ithuba has invited media and independent observers to review its draw procedures and audit logs, reinforcing that certified machines, RNG testing and independent oversight form the backbone of each draw.

While the controversy has sparked vigorous online debate, both Ithuba and the NLC have urged the public to rely on verified information from official sources. Ithuba reiterated that every ticket carries the same fair chance of winning and encouraged customers to enjoy the Lottery responsibly.

“These players are proof that opportunity is available to everyone,” Michelle van Trotsenburg said. “We will continue to safeguard the process and celebrate the positive impact of every ticket.”