Pretoria - Ithuba Holdings has been awarded the third licence to operate the National Lottery, the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) said on Thursday.
“The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies today announced that negotiations for the third National Lottery Licence have been successfully concluded with Ithuba Holdings (Pty) Ltd.
“As a result, Minister Davies has awarded the licence to conduct the third National Lottery to Ithuba in terms of section 13(1) of the Lotteries Act, 1997,” said the dti.
The decision was made after consultation with the National Lotteries Board. Ithuba is to commence operating the Lottery on 1 June 2015.
“At this stage, Minister Davies is unable to provide further details regarding his decision as Gidani (Pty) Ltd, the current Lottery operator, has taken him to court to challenge his decision to select Ithuba as the preferred applicant. Details of these proceedings will be available once the documents are presented in open Court.
“Minister Davies is hopeful that the matter will be resolved speedily and with the least disruption to the operation of the Lottery,” said departmental spokesperson Sidwell Medupe. - SAnews.gov.za
