In 2019 South Africans bought R7,07bn worth of Lotto tickets, in what is regarded by economists as a regressive tax on the poor. A common justification for this spending is that the National Lottery Commission (NLC) distributes a portion of this — 26.22% or R1.83bn in 2019 — to “good causes” and “worthy projects”.
But would people still buy Lotto tickets if it was common knowledge that the NLC was channelling some of these “charity” funds to friends, family and others?..
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