THURSDAY, 11.00AM:
The long-delayed Lotteries Bill was finally approved by Parliament on Wednesday, and chances are good South Africa will have a national lottery by early 1999. The Bill, which was first drafted five years ago, has undergone repeated amendments since then to accommodate South Africa’s already flourishing casinos and horse racing pools.
The Bill also allows for the establishment of sports pools, private lotteries, society lotteries and promotional competitions with prizes of up to R1-million a year.
The national lottery will be state-owned but will be operated by private enterprise. A National Lotteries Board has been set up – comprising people from the business sector, government and a lawyer. Proceeds from the lottery will benefit welfare causes, sport, arts and under-privileged communities. The Board will receive tenders for the national lottery.
But the long delay has had investors impatient – massive French lottery company Internationale des Jeux (IDJ) recently pulled out of South Africa, after waiting years to launch their bid for the national lottery.