More than R257m in lottery prizes unclaimed: check your tickets

More than R257m in prizes remained unclaimed across various games in the National Lottery by October 30. Lottery operator Ithuba has urged participants to check their tickets and claim any winnings.

According to Ithuba, among the significant unclaimed prizes is a Powerball Plus jackpot of more than R3.4m purchased in Louis Trichardt on January 19 and set to expire on January 19 2025.

Another substantial win about to be forfeited on January 5 2025 is a daily Lotto prize of R640,100, bought in Carletonville, Gauteng, on January 5.

Ithuba CEO Charmaine Mabuza urged participants who have played in the past year to check and validate their tickets.

“It is unfortunate and anticlimactic when winners do not follow up on their well-deserved prizes. We appeal to all National Lottery participants to write their names on the back of their tickets and store them safely after playing. We also encourage participants to use our social media pages, website and digital app to check the winning numbers once they have played,” said Mabuza.

Ithuba said winnings not claimed within the 365-day period will be forfeited and redirected to support community causes through the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.

Participants have been encouraged to visit their nearest retailer or Ithuba office to validate their tickets to check if they have unclaimed winnings.

The operator said for participants using digital platforms, which include banking platforms, the National Lottery website and mobile app, there is no need to claim winnings under R249,000 as these are paid automatically into their bank accounts or credited directly to the National Lottery wallet, respectively. 

“For winnings over R249,000, winners are notified within 24 working hours and can easily complete the secure claim process at any Ithuba regional office.”

TimesLIVE