Lotto operator Gidani has informed lotto players - who may be wondering what happens to the roll-over jackpot when it is not won shortly before a guaranteed jackpot - that the money is "absorbed".
Questions over the rollover first emerged in June after an R8-million lotto jackpot was not won and the following draw was a R10-million guaranteed jackpot which had been advertised prior to the R8m draw.
Some players felt in the event of a rollover, it should have been added to the guaranteed R10m jackpot which in that case would have taken the total to R18m.
In response to questions over the "disappearance" of the roll-over amount, Gidani spokeswoman Thembi Tulwana said, "In the event that a rollover of a Wednesday coincides with a guaranteed jackpot, that roll-over amount is absorbed in the guaranteed jackpot."
National Lotteries Board spokesman Sershan Naidoo said there was nothing wrong with this as it was an international practice that simply meant "we will guarantee up to that amount."
"The R10m was advertised before the Wednesday's jackpot.
"All guaranteed jackpots are planned and preparations have to be done way ahead of time.
"In the event that the Wednesday jackpot was won, we still would have had a R10m jackpot," said Tulwana.
She said in the case of the jackpot on June 24 which was an estimated R8m, the prize payment was R7,2m.
However, there was a rollover which coincided with the guaranteed R10m jackpot. The R7.2m was absorbed.
"The roll-over rule is that the jackpot will roll over until it is won.
"The guaranteed jackpots are always higher than rollovers and the absorption takes into account the minimum estimated prize of the next jackpot which is a minimum of R2,5m for a Saturday draw and a minimum of R1,4m for a midweek draw.
"Of course, the final payment of an estimated jackpot is determined by the number of entries received."
"For instance, the guaranteed jackpot in question, R10m, was estimated at R12.5m because we anticipated higher participation.
"This guaranteed jackpot eventually paid out R16,8m following six rollovers before it was won," she said.