INNOVATIVE: CEO of Gidani, Bongani Khumalo, with Len Pienaar, FNB’s CEO of Mobile and Transact Solutions. Picture by Eddie Mtsweni

The latest move taken by lottery operator Gidani is a step in the right direction.

From now on, punters can play the Lotto by means of cellphone banking or by using their ATM.

Since the lottery was launched almost a decade ago, it has created many millionaires but millions have remained unclaimed, meaning that the general public has been shortchanged.

By playing through their bank accounts, participants have a convenient record to facilitate paying them out.

Gidani CEO Bongani Khumalo says the main advantages of their partnership with First National Bank (FNB) are the elimination of fraud, where an individual claims someone else’s winnings without that player’s consent and restrictions will be easily enforceable.

“The banking channel is the only method that will enable the National Lottery to know the profile of the player immediately, and therefore we will be able to detect any unlawful participation in good time,” Khumalo says.

“For example, anybody below the age of 18 will not be able to access the Lotto option with this channel. All preventative measures have been put in place.”

According to the agreement Gidani has with FNB, any windfall up to R50000 will be deposited directly into the winner’s account and for amounts above that, FNB will be able to remind the winner to contact the operator to claim their winnings.

But unfortunately, this is only available to FNB customers.

Khumalo says: “During this first phase, only FNB clients will be able to play using their cellphones, ATMs across the country and also through the FNB online banking channel.

“Other banks have indicated that they will come on board much later in the year to also allow their customers access to this new method of playing.”