Wrangle over lottery licence heads for court

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 government’s decision to award Gidani the licence almost from the start, with the chequered past of the consortium’s 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