Item: Ithuba Lottery
Rating: 1
Author: JH V

JV

JH V's updateReviewer Update

06 May 2026, 11:20

I have just now called in AGAIN, talking to a gentleman, was busy explaining the situation again and then all of a sudden, the call was interrupted (probably an internal call to him as well) and MY call was again cut...
Another almost 9 minutes gone - we didn't even get to the full issue yet .. ??!!!!!!!

THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE .. !!!!!!

JV

JH V's update06 May 2026, 11:20

Reviewer Update

I have just now called in AGAIN, talking to a gentleman, was busy explaining the situation again and then all of a sudden, the call was interrupted (probably an internal call to him as well) and MY call was again cut...
Another almost 9 minutes gone - we didn't even get to the full issue yet .. ??!!!!!!!

THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE .. !!!!!!

Ithuba Lottery's replyOfficial

06 May 2026, 13:43

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

We sincerely apologise for the frustration, inconvenience, and time you have spent trying to resolve your account access and contact detail update. We acknowledge that you have made several attempts to contact the ITHUBA Call Centre, that you have had to repeat the same information more than once, and that your matter has not yet been resolved. This is not the level of service we aim to provide.

Please rest assured that we take your complaint seriously and will investigate the matter urgently. We will review your account history, the previous requests made in 2023 and 2025, the recent call interactions, the returned emails, and the current status of your account details, including your mobile number, email address, password access, and FICA verification status.

We also note your concern regarding the SMS communication about account closures by the end of May 2026. We understand the importance of ensuring that you are able to access your account, update your details, and receive the necessary support before any closure process is finalised.

A dedicated member of our team will be assigned to assist you directly so that this matter can be resolved without you having to explain the issue again. We will also ensure that you are contacted on the correct mobile number and/or email address available to us, and we will provide clear guidance on any documents required to update your details securely.

We regret that your experience has led you to feel that ITHUBA is delaying the process. We assure you that this is not our intention. Our priority is to assist you, verify the required information, and ensure that your account is handled correctly and fairly.

Kindly allow us the opportunity to get to the bottom of this and provide you with a resolution. We appreciate your patience and apologies once again for the inconvenience caused. We will get back to you shortly with a favorable solution.

Best regards,

Ithuba Lottery's reply06 May 2026, 13:43

Official

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

We sincerely apologise for the frustration, inconvenience, and time you have spent trying to resolve your account access and contact detail update. We acknowledge that you have made several attempts to contact the ITHUBA Call Centre, that you have had to repeat the same information more than once, and that your matter has not yet been resolved. This is not the level of service we aim to provide.

Please rest assured that we take your complaint seriously and will investigate the matter urgently. We will review your account history, the previous requests made in 2023 and 2025, the recent call interactions, the returned emails, and the current status of your account details, including your mobile number, email address, password access, and FICA verification status.

We also note your concern regarding the SMS communication about account closures by the end of May 2026. We understand the importance of ensuring that you are able to access your account, update your details, and receive the necessary support before any closure process is finalised.

A dedicated member of our team will be assigned to assist you directly so that this matter can be resolved without you having to explain the issue again. We will also ensure that you are contacted on the correct mobile number and/or email address available to us, and we will provide clear guidance on any documents required to update your details securely.

We regret that your experience has led you to feel that ITHUBA is delaying the process. We assure you that this is not our intention. Our priority is to assist you, verify the required information, and ensure that your account is handled correctly and fairly.

Kindly allow us the opportunity to get to the bottom of this and provide you with a resolution. We appreciate your patience and apologies once again for the inconvenience caused. We will get back to you shortly with a favorable solution.

Best regards,

JV

JH V's updateReviewer Update

06 May 2026, 18:55

Thank you for your response - appreciated.

I have however, as I wasn't sure if you might respond or not here, like Telkom as an example, did call in again later....
My account was then sorted, we could update my ID etc., and a bit later, my ID and address was confirmed as well...
Later this afternoon, the same gentleman calls me to confirm and advise that he can assist me to do the with-drawl if required, but I was then in a discussion with another person, hence I advise that I will try tonight - soon here-after.
I requested him to check in an my profile in the morning - he would be able to see if I indeed was able to do the with-drawl or not... If not, I requested him to call again to guide me through the process as well...

With regards to this complaint - my problem was resolved, but you still need to investigate my experiences, fix processes if required, etc., as this is not what and how it should have happened, as per your previous response..

Continuous transparent feedback can be given here, to me, through this process untill the real problem is resolved, or you could mail me directly, perhaps.

Thank you very much.

JV

JH V's update06 May 2026, 18:55

Reviewer Update

Thank you for your response - appreciated.

I have however, as I wasn't sure if you might respond or not here, like Telkom as an example, did call in again later....
My account was then sorted, we could update my ID etc., and a bit later, my ID and address was confirmed as well...
Later this afternoon, the same gentleman calls me to confirm and advise that he can assist me to do the with-drawl if required, but I was then in a discussion with another person, hence I advise that I will try tonight - soon here-after.
I requested him to check in an my profile in the morning - he would be able to see if I indeed was able to do the with-drawl or not... If not, I requested him to call again to guide me through the process as well...

With regards to this complaint - my problem was resolved, but you still need to investigate my experiences, fix processes if required, etc., as this is not what and how it should have happened, as per your previous response..

Continuous transparent feedback can be given here, to me, through this process untill the real problem is resolved, or you could mail me directly, perhaps.

Thank you very much.

Ithuba Lottery's replyOfficial

07 May 2026, 08:16

Thank you for your response and for the update.

We are pleased to hear that your account details, ID, and address verification have now been successfully updated, and that a team member has contacted you to provide further assistance with the withdrawal process if required.

We also acknowledge your request that, although your immediate account issue has been resolved, the broader complaint regarding your customer service experience must still be investigated. Please be assured that we agree this matter requires further review.

We will continue to investigate the service experience you described, including the repeated calls, dropped calls, lack of follow-up, difficulty submitting documents, and the need to explain your matter multiple times. This will allow us to identify where the process failed and what corrective action may be required to prevent similar experiences in future.

We appreciate your constructive feedback and the opportunity to address the matter properly. We will ensure that transparent feedback is provided to you once the review has been completed, either through this complaint channel or directly via email.

Thank you once again for your patience and for allowing us the opportunity to resolve your account matter and review the service concerns raised.

Phanda Pusha Play!

Best regards,

Ithuba Lottery's reply07 May 2026, 08:16

Official

Thank you for your response and for the update.

We are pleased to hear that your account details, ID, and address verification have now been successfully updated, and that a team member has contacted you to provide further assistance with the withdrawal process if required.

We also acknowledge your request that, although your immediate account issue has been resolved, the broader complaint regarding your customer service experience must still be investigated. Please be assured that we agree this matter requires further review.

We will continue to investigate the service experience you described, including the repeated calls, dropped calls, lack of follow-up, difficulty submitting documents, and the need to explain your matter multiple times. This will allow us to identify where the process failed and what corrective action may be required to prevent similar experiences in future.

We appreciate your constructive feedback and the opportunity to address the matter properly. We will ensure that transparent feedback is provided to you once the review has been completed, either through this complaint channel or directly via email.

Thank you once again for your patience and for allowing us the opportunity to resolve your account matter and review the service concerns raised.

Phanda Pusha Play!

Best regards,

JV

JH V's updateReviewer Update

07 May 2026, 14:03

Good Afternoon Ithuba,
As promised, your agent has called back this morning, but I did manage to initiate the withdrawal process last night, but I have two things to report on this, also to be investigated:

1. Although the balance shown, was shown in Rands and Cents, e.g. R5.34, the withdrawl seems to be working ONLY with cents, hence no "." is required... Took me a while to figure that ou. Why is that and why, as I did not see anything to that effect, is that not mentioned that one need to work in cents only .. ??

2. Ithuba made the call to close these accounts, requesting client to withdraw their money before 25 May 2026. The system advise a fee around R5 for withdrawals, which is fine when the client makes the choice to withdraw. However, in this scenario, where Ithuba decided to close these accounts, there should be no transfer costs billed to the client, but it should be part of the project costs to close this part of your services. The client should therefor receive his full amount in his bank account. Please ensure that where clients are now closing these accounts on your request, that these fees will not be subtracted.
Ithuba made the decision, hence then it is very unfair to charge the transfer fees to the client as per your instruction.

Thank you very much.

JV

JH V's update07 May 2026, 14:03

Reviewer Update

Good Afternoon Ithuba,
As promised, your agent has called back this morning, but I did manage to initiate the withdrawal process last night, but I have two things to report on this, also to be investigated:

1. Although the balance shown, was shown in Rands and Cents, e.g. R5.34, the withdrawl seems to be working ONLY with cents, hence no "." is required... Took me a while to figure that ou. Why is that and why, as I did not see anything to that effect, is that not mentioned that one need to work in cents only .. ??

2. Ithuba made the call to close these accounts, requesting client to withdraw their money before 25 May 2026. The system advise a fee around R5 for withdrawals, which is fine when the client makes the choice to withdraw. However, in this scenario, where Ithuba decided to close these accounts, there should be no transfer costs billed to the client, but it should be part of the project costs to close this part of your services. The client should therefor receive his full amount in his bank account. Please ensure that where clients are now closing these accounts on your request, that these fees will not be subtracted.
Ithuba made the decision, hence then it is very unfair to charge the transfer fees to the client as per your instruction.

Thank you very much.

Ithuba Lottery's replyOfficial

11 May 2026, 11:53

Dear Mr van Vollenhoven,

Thank you for your feedback and for confirming that you were able to initiate the withdrawal process. We appreciate you taking the time to raise these additional points, and we have reviewed the matters noted.

With regard to the withdrawal amount field, we apologise for the confusion experienced. The withdrawal function requires the amount to be entered in cents and does not accept a decimal point in the amount field. We acknowledge that this was not clear enough in the process, and your feedback has been noted for review to improve the clarity of the withdrawal instructions for players.

Regarding the withdrawal fee, we understand your concern, particularly as the account closure process is linked to the end of the current National Lottery licence period and not a decision made by the player. Please note, however, that the withdrawal fee is a standard requirement that applies to withdrawals and is in line with the website terms and conditions. The fee is app**** to cover the relevant banking and processing charges associated with the transaction.Players who have a remaining balance in their wallet may choose one of the following options:

They may withdraw the available balance, in which case the standard withdrawal fee will apply; orThey may use the remaining balance to play eligible National Lottery games before account closure, including DAILY LOTTO, LOTTO, EAZiWIN or SPORTSTAKE, where even smaller balances may still provide an opportunity to win.We do appreciate that balances around R3 to R5 may be affected by the withdrawal fee, and for this reason, players may consider using the remaining wallet balance to participate in available games should they choose to do so.

We thank you again for bringing this to our attention. Your comments have been noted, and we will ensure they are shared with the relevant team for consideration as part of the ongoing account closure communication and support process.

Phanda Pusha Play!

Best regards,

Ithuba Lottery's reply11 May 2026, 11:53

Official

Dear Mr van Vollenhoven,

Thank you for your feedback and for confirming that you were able to initiate the withdrawal process. We appreciate you taking the time to raise these additional points, and we have reviewed the matters noted.

With regard to the withdrawal amount field, we apologise for the confusion experienced. The withdrawal function requires the amount to be entered in cents and does not accept a decimal point in the amount field. We acknowledge that this was not clear enough in the process, and your feedback has been noted for review to improve the clarity of the withdrawal instructions for players.

Regarding the withdrawal fee, we understand your concern, particularly as the account closure process is linked to the end of the current National Lottery licence period and not a decision made by the player. Please note, however, that the withdrawal fee is a standard requirement that applies to withdrawals and is in line with the website terms and conditions. The fee is app**** to cover the relevant banking and processing charges associated with the transaction.Players who have a remaining balance in their wallet may choose one of the following options:

They may withdraw the available balance, in which case the standard withdrawal fee will apply; orThey may use the remaining balance to play eligible National Lottery games before account closure, including DAILY LOTTO, LOTTO, EAZiWIN or SPORTSTAKE, where even smaller balances may still provide an opportunity to win.We do appreciate that balances around R3 to R5 may be affected by the withdrawal fee, and for this reason, players may consider using the remaining wallet balance to participate in available games should they choose to do so.

We thank you again for bringing this to our attention. Your comments have been noted, and we will ensure they are shared with the relevant team for consideration as part of the ongoing account closure communication and support process.

Phanda Pusha Play!

Best regards,

JV

JH V's updateReviewer Update

11 May 2026, 12:20

Thanks for your feedback, however you have confirmed that the decision is not mine, whatever the reason might be, end of license contract, etc. to close these accounts on your end...
You are correct in the options noted and the normal way of operations, however, for whatever reason these accounts are to be closed, then these normal operational rules as published on your website does no longer apply, as we are in closing of these accounts, due to the end of your license term, no longer on normal operational rules, but the rules of closing accounts, due to internal reasons, which has got nothing to do with the client, hence the project to close down accounts, as a result of the license issue, still should be project costs, therefore if a client opt to take his money, because of this, he/she should not be penalised with the transfer fees, as the project should carry these costs. If a client chooses to buy tickets, no project costs then for the closing project.
This is the 1st time in my life that I have to pay for an internal problem on the supplier's end, suggesting that this issue was not properly planned and thought-through.
Lastly - if a client ended up with less than the amount in his account to either play or transfer his money, (due to the cost involved), he will just loose his money.???
There is a principal involved - 1c the client might lose, is about a client losing his/her money, irrespective of the amount.

Totally unfair and indeed not the best way to do things - my 1c is my 1c, right??

JV

JH V's update11 May 2026, 12:20

Reviewer Update

Thanks for your feedback, however you have confirmed that the decision is not mine, whatever the reason might be, end of license contract, etc. to close these accounts on your end...
You are correct in the options noted and the normal way of operations, however, for whatever reason these accounts are to be closed, then these normal operational rules as published on your website does no longer apply, as we are in closing of these accounts, due to the end of your license term, no longer on normal operational rules, but the rules of closing accounts, due to internal reasons, which has got nothing to do with the client, hence the project to close down accounts, as a result of the license issue, still should be project costs, therefore if a client opt to take his money, because of this, he/she should not be penalised with the transfer fees, as the project should carry these costs. If a client chooses to buy tickets, no project costs then for the closing project.
This is the 1st time in my life that I have to pay for an internal problem on the supplier's end, suggesting that this issue was not properly planned and thought-through.
Lastly - if a client ended up with less than the amount in his account to either play or transfer his money, (due to the cost involved), he will just loose his money.???
There is a principal involved - 1c the client might lose, is about a client losing his/her money, irrespective of the amount.

Totally unfair and indeed not the best way to do things - my 1c is my 1c, right??

Ithuba Lottery's replyOfficial

11 May 2026, 14:24

Dear Mr van Vollenhoven,

Thank you for your further feedback.

We sincerely acknowledge the concern and principle you have raised. We understand your view that, because the account closure process is linked to the end of the current National Lottery license period and was not initiated by the player, the withdrawal fee should not be for the player’s account.

Your feedback is valid and important to us, and we appreciate the time you have taken to explain your position in detail.

As previously advised, players with remaining wallet balances have the option to either withdraw the available funds, subject to the applicable withdrawal fee, or use the remaining balance to play eligible National Lottery games before account closure, including POWERBALL, DAILY LOTTO, LOTTO, EAZiWIN or SPORTSTAKE.

The withdrawal fee remains part of the current withdrawal process and is app**** in line with the website terms and conditions to cover the relevant banking and processing charges associated with the transaction. At this stage, the applicable withdrawal process and fee remain unchanged.

We do, however, fully note your concern that even a small balance is still the player’s money and that no player should feel disadvantaged during this process. Your comments have been formally recorded and shared with the relevant internal team for consideration.

Thank you again for engaging with us on this matter. We trust that the above provides clarity on the current process and ITHUBA’s position.

Phanda Pusha Play!

Best regards,

Ithuba Lottery's reply11 May 2026, 14:24

Official

Dear Mr van Vollenhoven,

Thank you for your further feedback.

We sincerely acknowledge the concern and principle you have raised. We understand your view that, because the account closure process is linked to the end of the current National Lottery license period and was not initiated by the player, the withdrawal fee should not be for the player’s account.

Your feedback is valid and important to us, and we appreciate the time you have taken to explain your position in detail.

As previously advised, players with remaining wallet balances have the option to either withdraw the available funds, subject to the applicable withdrawal fee, or use the remaining balance to play eligible National Lottery games before account closure, including POWERBALL, DAILY LOTTO, LOTTO, EAZiWIN or SPORTSTAKE.

The withdrawal fee remains part of the current withdrawal process and is app**** in line with the website terms and conditions to cover the relevant banking and processing charges associated with the transaction. At this stage, the applicable withdrawal process and fee remain unchanged.

We do, however, fully note your concern that even a small balance is still the player’s money and that no player should feel disadvantaged during this process. Your comments have been formally recorded and shared with the relevant internal team for consideration.

Thank you again for engaging with us on this matter. We trust that the above provides clarity on the current process and ITHUBA’s position.

Phanda Pusha Play!

Best regards,

JV

JH V's updateReviewer Update

11 May 2026, 14:46

Noted - awaiting feedback on my notion as per my concerns raised.

JV

JH V's update11 May 2026, 14:46

Reviewer Update

Noted - awaiting feedback on my notion as per my concerns raised.

JV

JH V's updateReviewer Update

13 May 2026, 20:11

Good Evening Ithuba,

I am getting a bit concerned now...

My withdrawal request was done on Wednesday, 06 May 2026 shortly after 7pm.
Your agent, who contacted me the next day, to confirm if I got the withdrawal right, then added in the discussion, that it normally will take 3 working days before the funds will reflect in my bank account, perhaps 4 at the most, adding then that bascially on the latest I should receive my funds on the latest during Tuesday, 12 May 2026.

5 working days has now past - still nothing on my bank statement.

Do we have some sort of delay in this regard?

Please advise soonest...

Thank you very much.

JV

JH V's update13 May 2026, 20:11

Reviewer Update

Good Evening Ithuba,

I am getting a bit concerned now...

My withdrawal request was done on Wednesday, 06 May 2026 shortly after 7pm.
Your agent, who contacted me the next day, to confirm if I got the withdrawal right, then added in the discussion, that it normally will take 3 working days before the funds will reflect in my bank account, perhaps 4 at the most, adding then that bascially on the latest I should receive my funds on the latest during Tuesday, 12 May 2026.

5 working days has now past - still nothing on my bank statement.

Do we have some sort of delay in this regard?

Please advise soonest...

Thank you very much.

JV

JH V's updateReviewer Update

19 May 2026, 08:59

ONLY received an SMS from my bank to conclude this transaction, yesterday, Monday 18/05, confirming the payment...
Took almost double the time than promised.
Concluded, I guess.

JV

JH V's update19 May 2026, 08:59

Reviewer Update

ONLY received an SMS from my bank to conclude this transaction, yesterday, Monday 18/05, confirming the payment...
Took almost double the time than promised.
Concluded, I guess.

Ithuba Client Account Issue since 2023