BusinessDay, SAPA: Five jackpots went unclaimed last year, says Gidani, the South African lottery operator, More than R25m in lottery winnings remains unclaimed, including a R16,45m jackpot, national South African lottery operator Gidani said on Thursday. Five jackpots went unclaimed last year, said Thembi Tulwana, spokeswoman for Gidani. The R16,45m jackpot was won on March 2 by a ticket bought in Limpopo. A R1,31m jackpot was won on October 15 by a ticket bought in Eastern Cape; a R5m jackpot on July 30 by a KwaZulu-Natal ticket; and a R1,36m jackpot on June 15 and a R1,23m jackpot on November 15 by Gauteng tickets. Ms Tulwana urged people to check their lottery tickets and claim their winnings at any one of Gidani’s eight regional offices. "Tickets are valid for 365 days, literally from the minute after the draw is made," she said. Unclaimed jackpot money is reused by Gidani for marketing and for guaranteed jackpots. Ms Tulwana said Gidani provided emotional counselling and offered financial advice through recognised financial institutions to ticket holders who won R60000 and more. "Their job is to ensure the winnings are sustainable and that the investment vehicles used will earn more interest for the winners," she said. Source: BusinessDay
