Participation TV Show Accused of Being Lottery Scam

May 28 - The South African National Lotteries Board has received complaints regarding the alleged lottery scam being run by eTV through its popular "Brain Box" quiz. A spokesman for the board said that it was investigating charges that potential players were made to wait very long to hear whether they would be able to take part in the show or not, paying R7.50 a minute by phoning the premium rate cell phone line.

The main complaint made against eTV, its production company Ostrich Media and wireless application service provider, iTouch, is that potential contestants had a very slim chance of actually making the show, essentially earning the producers millions of rands in phone call earnings.

An indignant player said: "If you are not given a chance to give your answer, your money should not be taken. This quiz show appears to be nothing more than a money-making rip-off."

To its credit, eTV runs a completely transparent policy with regards to the charges on the phone calls. The show's female presenter announces every few minutes throughout the broadcast that calls and SMSs to the show are not free, and that viewers will be charged.

The head of eTV's publicity, Vasili Vass said that: "The onscreen graphics also display this message every few minutes." He denies running a lottery scam.

Vass said that "it's understandable that some viewers don't fully understand the concept", giving that a game such as "Brain Box" is relatively new to South African media circles.

What seems to irk players is the fact that they are urged over and over again to call and SMS, without much concern for the effect on their bankrolls. Ostrich Media, in its terms and conditions, even 'recommends' that players do not make more than 140 entries a day to the competition - roughly R1050 worth of entries per day, alone!

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