ITHUBA LICENCE TEMPORARILY EXTENDED

Lotto operations can continue for the next 12 months.

Ithuba Holdings has been granted a temporary extension of its licence by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.

Ithuba Holdings has been the National Lottery operator since 2015. In 2013, its eight-year licence expired, but it was renewed twice by the Department on a one-year basis.

In 2025, the Department was taken to court in a bid to prevent it from renewing Ithuba’s licence for a third time.

The Pretoria High Court ruled that the Department could only renew Ithuba’s licence for five months.

The ruling was upheld by the same court on 30 May.

Ithuba Holdings’ licence would have expired on Sunday, 1 June, but for now, everything will continue as normal.

Ithuba Holdings released a statement following the decision to grant a temporary licence:

“Ithuba remains steadfast in its commitment to operate the National Lottery with integrity, transparency, and for the benefit of South Africans. Participants can rest assured that all games, draws, and prize pay-outs will continue as normal, with the same exciting jackpots and seamless service that they are accustomed to.”