Wrangle over lottery licence heads for court
A court solution to the controversial decision by the National Lotteries Board to award the national lottery licence to the Gidani consortium now seems likely after losing bidder Uthingo said yesterday it was pursuing the matter legally.
A Business Day report notes that Uthingo, which has been operating the lottery for seven years, lost to newcomer Gidani when the licence came up for tender again in October. Controversy has surrounded governments decision to award Gidani the licence almost from the start, with the chequered past of the consortiums foreign partner, Athens-based Intralot, surfacing almost at the same time as it emerged that high-profile individuals with connections to the ANC were shareholders. The Lotteries Act prohibits the award of the lucrative licence if it is found that a political party or political office-bearer had any direct interest in the consortium. Full Business Day report