Gambling Authority finalises lottery licence issuance

Sources privy to the latest developments told BusinessWeek that talks have already commenced between Ithuba Botswana, which was the reserve bidder of the national lottery and the Gambling Authority. Ithuba Botswana is a subsidiary of a well-known Pan African group Ithuba Holdings that has been operating the South African national lottery for the past seven years. “All things being equal, we aim to issue the national lottery licence in the 2022–2023 financial year,” Gambling Authority said.

This comes after Grow Mine’s appeal to the Ministry of Investment Trade and Industry was not successful as they were dismissed. Initially, the Gambling Authority had revoked Grow Mine’s status as preferred bidder noting negotiations around the lottery had proven unsuccessful. As the preferred bidders of the country’s national lottery, Grow Mine failed to make a P10 million upfront payment to the authority to kickstart the lottery.