Johannesburg, 04 Dec 2003
National lottery operator, Uthingo, has verified that eBucks.com is the first and only accredited retailer to offer Lotto tickets for sale on the Internet, following claims that Lottofun has been doing so for over three years.
"Neither Uthingo nor the National Lotteries Board have accorded Lottofun the status of an accredited retailer," says Uthingo`s public affairs director, Thembi Tulwana. "Neither will assume responsibility for any of the activities of Lottofun."
However, Lottofun says it is not contravening the law. "We are not selling Lotto tickets," says MD Jonathan Bloom, "we are merely providing an agency service via the Internet to purchase lottery tickets and claim winnings." Bloom says his company buys lottery tickets on behalf of clients from authorised Lotto retailers, and therefore does not need Uthingo`s permission.
Members of the eBucks rewards programme have been able to purchase Lotto tickets online using their eBucks since the service went live towards the end of last month.
"eBucks.com was selected as the appropriate channel for online sales of Lotto tickets for a number of reasons, including the ability to cater for the stringent regulations that Uthingo must adhere to, as well as the strong privacy policies that eBucks.com have in place," says eBucks marketing representative Alannah Lavelle.
Bloom says since inception, Lottofun has processed orders for more than R6 million worth of Lotto tickets and delivered more than R2.5 million in winnings. "We offer a wide variety of options to clients, and Uthingo should talk to us about offering a real service."
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