Cyber Lotto partners with Zain on mobile lottery

Cyber Lotto Ltd CEO, Chris Kanyuka said the company is poised to invest US$1,7m in expanding the online network of retailers equipped with mobile point-of-sale devices.

“This service will also be available to individuals through the use of mobile phones equipped with GPRS,” he said.

Kanyuka explained that the reason they decided to partner with Zain Malawi followed the mobile company's switch to GPRS technology which is essential for the games.

“Zain is expanding its services locally as well as across Africa and this gives us an opportunity to court international clients,” he said.

Cyber Lotto director of operations, Ivan Goh announced the company's plan to introduce a new game called Match Two, where players will be picking numbers 1-22.

“The game will be played daily through mobile phones and winners will walk away with 100 times their entries,” he said.

After Match Two, the company will introduce another game, Match Six where players will cart home K1m in cash prizes.

Cyber Lotto Ltd, is a subsidiary company of Cyber Lotto Africa Ltd, a member of Cyber Group Africa Ltd which has its headquarters in Mauritius with offices in South Africa.

Malawi's National Lotteries Board (NLB) compliance manager, Olfa Alide announced at the time of certification that Cyber Lotto was to roll out a new national lottery by July 1.

Cyber Lotto will pump in US$1m into lottery games and US$700,000 in online machinery such as "point-of-sale" gadgets.

The company which specialises in m-commerce solutions within Africa has been incorporated as a limited company and it is locally owned by former AFLOT shareholders, which include National Bank Pension Fund, the Medical Aid Society of Malawi, the National Investment Trust Limited and Investment Alliance Limited which jointly own 30% shares as a local partner.

The national lottery started with a bang soon after government had launched it in 2006 in Blantyre but had its fame waning after it failed to honour winners of its highest stakes in its Lotto 5.