Iuze Mukube
Winning is not something that comes easily.
One can only get close to winning by investing time and effort. Thus, it becomes especially frustrating to lose what you have worked so hard for.
A disheartened Saresh Tangi Lomboleni claimed he won over N$60 000 on a gambling site, while Opheni Mwayanale claimed a win of N$192 000 due to the JSB betting shop’s alleged technical error.
Lomboleni said he transferred a set amount of funds to his JSB account to play a newly-introduced game called ‘Paper Lanterns’. He said he made more or less N$20 000 in a week.
Although he had doubts about the winnings, he still went to the shop to withdraw some of the wins, and succeeded.
“I was so happy. Finally, we found a breakthrough to poverty,” he shared. However, the joy did not last, as he realised his accounts started having issues. He was unable to access his account, especially after he won N$60 000. Relentlessly complaining for weeks about his blocked account, the shop restored it.
He then discovered that his balance had been deleted to zero. “They even sent me an email that I owe them. Apparently I owe them the N$5 000 that I withdrew because of this system error – that the game was paying out losing tickets instead of winning tickets,” he narrated.
Lomboleni said the site threatened him that the shop would consult their lawyer if he sought legal assistance.
On the same note, Mwayanale said the technical issue began when he won the largest amount of N$192 000. He said he was informed that his account was under investigation upon seeking a withdrawal of N$40 000 from his winnings.
He stated that he sent the JSB a letter, and they informed him that there was a system error.
“What they responded is that if you happen to go to the newspaper or seek legal advice, then our lawyers will come for you. Like, what have we done? We didn’t manipulate the system or hack it,” he said.
The man stated that he opened a case against JSB with Kadhila Amoomo lawyers.
The paper engaged with the Namibian Gambling Board’s chairman, Ben Shikongo.
He said he has a conflict of interest in this matter because in his capacity as a regulator, he is unable to act without the involvement of law-enforcement.
“It’s far from me because I am only issuing licences. But when it comes to crimes committed, then that’s robbery. He must just open a case against that particular company, then the police will come and investigate,” he advised.
He continued: “We have had a lot of these cases, but we can only see whether we can intervene or advise after the police becomes involved”. JSB customer retention manager KJ Smit said their team conducts comprehensive reviews in conjunction with applicable third-party suppliers to ensure that any discrepancies are identified and addressed appropriately.
He added that as outlined in their terms and conditions, in cases where technical errors or obvious mistakes occur, JSB reserves the right to void bets.
“This is industry standards locally and internationally.
This policy is in place to protect both our users and the integrity of our betting operations. We strive to ensure that every bet placed on our platform adheres to our rules and standards of fairness,” he noted.