LottoStar Review

LottoStar (Pty) Ltd and licence 9-2-1-09467

The licence page names LottoStar (Pty) Ltd, registration 2007/011071/07, based in Riverside Office Park, Mbombela, with licence 9-2-1-09467 from the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator. The terms fall under South African law, including the National Gambling Act 33 of 1996 and the Mpumalanga Gambling Act 5 of 1995. The brand dates to 2018, and a CasinoGuru news item reports that Betfred bought a majority stake. CasinoGuru lists no licence for the casino in its review, which conflicts with the number on LottoStar's own licence page.

Every game is described as a fixed-odds betting event. Winnings go to South African bank accounts in rand, "provided no jurisdictional restrictions apply". A bet placed from abroad falls under exchange-control rules, and LottoStar is not liable if it cannot send money out of the country. No list of restricted countries is published.

Support is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on live chat, phone 086 026 7777 and email.

Deposits from ZAR 10, five withdrawal routes from ZAR 100

The minimum deposit is ZAR 10, and payments must come from a card or bank account in the player's name. The payment page names cards through Walletdoc, Stitch and PayGate, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, EFT through Walletdoc, Stitch and SiD, FNB Direct TopUp, public-recipient transfers at Standard Bank, FNB, ABSA and Nedbank, SnapScan, PayFast and Capitec Pay.

Eight voucher types are accepted, from 1Voucher and Blu to OTT and Capitec Flexi Voucher. A voucher must be played through in full before winnings leave, and it must be redeemed within 3 years of purchase. Chargebacks can be recovered from the player.

Crypto works only through Luno and VALR wallets. Deposits arrive as the rand equivalent, with a minimum of ZAR 100 and a maximum of ZAR 40,000 per transaction and per day. No Pay with Crypto deposit is accepted before full FICA verification, and the full amount must be played through.

Withdrawals use 5 routes: EFT, ABSA CashSend, FNB eWallet, Standard Bank Instant Money and Nedbank Send-iMali. The minimum is ZAR 100 for EFT, ZAR 200 for CashSend, eWallet and Send-iMali, and ZAR 500 for Instant Money. A foreign bank account needs at least ZAR 5,000.

ZAR 3,000 a day, ZAR 25,000 in 30 days: the withdrawal limits

The four phone-based routes share a cap of ZAR 25,000 in any 30 days. Daily maximums are ZAR 5,000 for Instant Money, ZAR 4,000 for Send-iMali and ZAR 3,000 for both CashSend and eWallet, each within the 30-day limit. The terms state no maximum for EFT.

Withdrawals are processed on weekdays only, at 07h00, never on weekends or public holidays. A request made after 07h00 goes to the next weekday, and funds "may take up to 48 hours to reflect" after processing. The FAQ says payouts leave through an FNB account, so other banks using EFT may need up to 48 hours.

Only 1 withdrawal can be processed at a time. An unclaimed Send-iMali payment can be reversed after 48 hours, with the money returned within 24 hours. The terms promise payment of lawful winnings within 30 days, provided verification is complete.

On fees, LottoStar "reserves the right to charge transaction fees", including an amount equal to card fees. If a player deposits and withdraws after little betting, fees may be charged to the account and the account suspended. No fee amounts are published. A refund of the account balance on request needs 24 hours' notice.

Biometric check before the first withdrawal

A new account is enabled for banking and profile updates only, and identity and age are checked before betting is switched on. The FICA documents are a valid ID, proof of residence not older than 3 months, and proof of bank account with statements not older than 3 months, plus the source of funds. The FAQ names 3 months of bank statements or a bank confirmation letter.

Biometric verification is mandatory for every first withdrawal request, and failing it can block the payout. LottoStar may ask again at any time, and a failure can deactivate the account and withhold funds.

Withdrawals of ZAR 25,000 or more can require certified originals of the FICA documents, and the FAQ applies document approval to every withdrawal over ZAR 25,000. FICA documents are valid for 12 months from the stamped date and must then be resubmitted.

180 days dormant, 90 days to use a win

The dormant account clause defines dormancy as 180 days without a deposit, withdrawal or bet. After that, funds in the account "will cease to be valid", which is why CasinoGuru rates the terms unfair.

Wins have their own clock. Winnings must be withdrawn or bet within 90 days of allocation, otherwise they "may be forfeited". A suspended or deactivated account, including one where FICA documents were not supplied on time, forfeits play credits, promotional credits, vouchers and winnings.

Grounds for suspension without notice include multiple accounts, bonus abuse, failing biometric checks, failing to prove the source of funds, and using VPNs or proxies. LottoStar can also use a player's initials and win amount in marketing and may require photographs.

The dispute process runs by email to legal@lottostar.co.za and then to the Regulator, and the account can be deactivated while a dispute is open.

Reel Rush caps of ZAR 30 000 000 and scratchcard cars

The terms list Reel Rush slots from Habanero, RubyPlay, Red Rake and 1x2 Gaming, Slotteries, lotteries, ScratchCards, quick games, arcade games, Spribe Aviator, Maverick and Moonshine crash titles, and live games from Playtech, Evolution and Ezugi. A total game count is not published, and CasinoGuru counts 23 payment methods.

Per-bet payout caps are ZAR 30,000,000 on Habanero Reel Rush, ZAR 40,000,000 on the Privé versions, ZAR 25,000,000 on Playtech live games, and the lower of 20,000x or ZAR 5,000,000 on Red Baron. Some Reel Rush games accept bets of up to ZAR 100,000 per spin.

The ScratchCards carry top prizes of ZAR 6.5 million for the Ferrari card, ZAR 1.2 million for the Toyota Hilux and Golf GTI cards, ZAR 10 million for the dream home and a once-off ZAR 5,478,750 for Daily Ka-Ching. The Gold Bar card pays up to ZAR 1 million on a ZAR 1 bet and up to ZAR 10 million on a ZAR 12.50 bet.

A top-prize winner must name the payout format within 24 hours or the prize is treated as cash. For the vehicle, home and crypto prizes, LottoStar can pay the cash amount if the winner has not decided within 7 days.

Responsible gambling and one short bonus

LottoStar offers a self-assessment quiz, a cooling-off period of 24 hours to 3 months, and self-exclusion for at least 6 months. The page describes no deposit limits. The self-exclusion clause admits that no functional national register exists, so LottoStar relies on the player's own confirmation.

The welcome offer is a 100% Habanero deposit bonus up to ZAR 10,000 for new accounts, accepted within 24 hours of registering. The deposit is played through 1x on qualifying LottoStar games, then the free money 30x on Habanero games, so ZAR 35 of free money needs ZAR 1,050 of bets in the FAQ example. Crash games and Evolution and Ezugi roulette are excluded, and promo credits cannot be withdrawn. The bonus page has the full terms.

6.5 from CasinoGuru and no complaints on file

CasinoGuru gives LottoStar a Safety Index of 6.5, Above average, lists 0 complaints and does not place it on a blacklist, so there are no complaint amounts or dates to quote. AskGamblers and Trustpilot carry nothing, which leaves a single outside score. Our own rating is 3.5 out of 5.

Who LottoStar suits, and who should look elsewhere

It suits a South African player who deposits small amounts from ZAR 10 with vouchers or Capitec Pay, plays at least once in every 180 days and withdraws no more than ZAR 3,000 a day.

It suits poorly a high-roller expecting a large win to clear in one week, a player who takes long breaks while money sits in the account, and anyone unwilling to pass the biometric check at the first withdrawal. Players outside South Africa should look elsewhere.

Complaint history

The operator