Lottery company Ithuba has firmly dismissed claims that its SA Powerball jackpot prizes are awarded to individuals with connections to the organization.
Recently, a person won the R124 million Powerball jackpot, sparking widespread speculation online regarding the legitimacy of the draw and the winner’s alleged ties to Ithuba.
A message shared on X (formerly Twitter) by someone claiming to be a ‘former senior employee’ of Ithuba fueled these allegations. The post suggested that jackpot wins are manipulated for an internal agenda aimed at securing the renewal of Ithuba’s license. It claimed: “We will see more jackpots rolling over to bigger amounts and won by 1 person who is their associate.”
The post further alleged that jackpots are not awarded randomly, implying that individuals close to the company benefit instead. It claimed: “Jackpots won’t be won until the license expires because Ithuba wanted a renewal of the license.”
Another viral message from verified user @lindz_malindz echoed these sentiments, stating: “Did you know Ithuba lottery is paying these folks R80 to make noise about PowerBall jackpots? Ithuba jackpots are not won, bafethu”.
In response to these allegations, Ithuba assured players of its commitment to fairness and transparency. The company stated: “Ithuba remains committed to fairness, transparency, and integrity. All draws are conducted using a secure, independently audited process that is fully automated and free from human intervention.”
Ithuba also confirmed that the R124 million winner purchased their ticket through the Absa banking app, emphasizing that ‘anyone, anywhere, can win’. They added: “We do not, and cannot, know or influence who the next winner will be.”
The Citizen notes that no verifiable evidence has been provided to support the claims made in these anonymous posts. While sensational, these messages remain unverified and have not been substantiated through any formal investigation or documentation.
