The R17 Million Lotto That Never Was

For Thabiso Bannister, a Johannesburg man, March 2, 2022, should have been a life-changing day. He claims he selected the winning Lotto numbers and hit the R17 million jackpot. But three years later, the prize remains elusive.

Bannister says he placed a R50 bet via World Sports Betting (WSB). The next morning, he checked the results and realised all six of his numbers matched the winning combination. His excitement turned to panic when he couldn’t access the ticket in WSB’s lottery tab.

“I didn’t know if it was a mistake or if my purchase hadn’t gone through. I was in shock,” he said.

Technical Glitch or Human Error?

Investigations by the Gauteng Gambling Board (GGB) and National Lotteries Commission revealed conflicting reports. The GGB cited a communication failure between WSB and Ithuba’s central lottery system, claiming the ticket never registered due to a server timeout.

Ithuba, on the other hand, maintains its systems were functioning normally and insists no valid ticket exists. System logs reportedly show other bets were successfully recorded at the same time.

Evidence in Dispute

Bannister claims he has transaction records, emails, and screenshots proving the payment was deducted and a reference number issued. He says WSB employees even manually refunded what appeared to be a “winning” R50 bet during the investigation.

He also conducted a test bet in May 2022, successfully placing another R50 wager, demonstrating the difference between successful and failed transactions.

“I have evidence showing the payment went through. It should be proof enough,” Bannister said.

Public Outcry and Questions

The case has sparked frustration online, with many questioning lottery accountability and system transparency. Social media users have expressed empathy for Bannister while calling for clearer dispute resolution processes.

For now, the R17 million remains unclaimed, leaving Bannister and the public demanding answers from both WSB and Ithuba.

{Source: TheCitizen}

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