Court Sets Aside Sizekhaya Lottery Licence
The North Gauteng High Court has referred the Fourth National Lottery and Sports Pools Licence back to the minister for reconsideration.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Gambling
The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria set aside the award of the Fourth National Lottery and Sports Pools Licence to Sizekhaya Holdings RF (Pty) Ltd. The court declared the licence agreement between the minister, the National Lotteries Commission and Sizekhaya invalid, with the declaration suspended for two consecutive six-month periods.
Why it matters
The ruling reopens a contested national lottery licence process, with the minister now required to make a fresh decision that must disregard the Ministerial Committee's earlier report and recommendations. The outcome will determine which operator runs one of South Africa's lottery and sports pools games.
The licence, announced in May 2025, was for eight years and drew eight bidders before the court intervened. The minister has up to 12 months to reconsider the award, and the invalidity declaration is suspended across two six-month periods.
The players
Park Tau
Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, who announced Sizekhaya as the successful bidder and must now reconsider the licence.
Sizekhaya Holdings
The licence holder whose award was set aside by the court; it is partly owned by JSE-listed gambling group Goldrush Holdings.
Goldrush Holdings
A JSE-listed gambling group that partly owns Sizekhaya Holdings.
The details
The case was brought by Lekalinga, which approached the Gauteng High Court in June 2025 seeking a review of the award to Sizekhaya. Sizekhaya is partly owned by JSE-listed gambling group Goldrush Holdings and is led by Moses Tembe and Sandile Zungu.
Timeline
May 2025: Minister Park Tau announced Sizekhaya Holdings as the successful bidder.
June 2025: Lekalinga sought a court review of the licence award.
2 November 2026: The High Court set aside the Sizekhaya licence award.
Within 12 months: The minister must reconsider the licence award.
Market Landscape
The ruling places the Fourth National Lottery and Sports Pools Licence within the National Lotteries Commission's licensing framework, which governs who may operate South Africa's state lottery products. The court's intervention shows how a competitive tender for a national gambling licence can be reopened after the award is made.
Players of South Africa's national lottery and sports pools games may see changes to the operator behind these products if the minister awards the licence to a different bidder. The reconsideration process could affect which company runs the games and how they are offered in the coming year.
The takeaway
Licensing decisions for national gambling products can be reopened by the courts, so changes to the operator may arrive after an award has already been announced. Readers interested in the outcome should watch for the minister's fresh decision within the 12-month window.
What happens next
The minister must reconsider the licence award within 12 months, and the invalidity declaration remains suspended across two consecutive six-month periods.
Further reading
Explore more on Gambling to see how South Africa's betting and lottery rules are developing.
