Oz Lotteries is one of the largest online lottery retailers in Australia. But is it a scam, or can you really trust them? In this in-depth review, we’ll take an unbiased look at Oz Lotteries by analyzing customer reviews, complaints, and comparing them to competitors.
Let’s start our Oz Lotteries review by looking at what they offer and their background info.
What is Oz Lotteries?
Oz Lotteries is an online platform that allows Australian residents and international players to purchase official lottery tickets for popular games like Powerball, Oz Lotto, Saturday Lotto and others.
Oz Lotteries was founded in 2001 and based in Brisbane, Australia. It was accredited by state lottery regulators to legally sell tickets online. Users are free to create an account and play – no membership or sign up fees. You can purchase tickets for draws in all Australian states. Supports deposits via cards, PayPal or bank transfer. And lasting winnings can be withdrawn back to original payment method
In summary, Oz Lotteries presents itself as a fully licensed online retailer of major Australian lottery games. Their goal is to make playing the lottery more accessible and convenient via their website and mobile apps.
Now that we have the basic background on Oz Lotteries out of the way, let’s dig deeper by looking at what actual customers say about this lottery site. Reviews and complaints can provide valuable insight into whether it’s trustworthy or not.
Oz Lotteries Reviews – What Customers Are Saying
One of the best ways to evaluate if Oz Lotteries could potentially be a scam is by analyzing reviews from real players. Let’s take a look at what customers are saying about their experiences on major review sites like ProductReview, Trustpilot and Google.
ProductReview Oz Lotteries Reviews
On ProductReview, Oz Lotteries has a 2.5 out of 5 star rating based on 16 reviews. Some of the most common complaints included:
- Tickets being cancelled unexpectedly close to draw times
- Difficult verification process to cash out winnings
- Higher ticket prices than buying directly from lottery operators
- No customer support response to issues or withdrawal requests
One 1-star review said “Money gone. So now I cannot get my money back as I will not play with oz lotteries.” Another stated they were “debited twice from my credit card for one ticket! Poor customer service, responses from their representatives are a joke.”
While a few positive reviews mentioned wins being paid out smoothly, the majority on ProductReview expressed frustration over cancelled tickets and withdrawal problems.
Trustpilot Oz Lotteries Reviews
Next, looking at 503 reviews on Trustpilot, Oz Lotteries has a slightly better overall rating of 3.8/5 stars. However, there were still numerous low reviews:
- Complaints about last minute ticket cancellations close to draw times
- Customer support response times being very slow or non-existent
- Inability to close accounts or get deposits/funds withdrawn
A 1-star review said “Ticket cancelled on day of draw. Then forcibly refunded to account.” Another stated “Purchased a lotto party with all people purchased many hours before the draw. After the official draw time, the purchase was cancelled with no explanation.”
While positive reviews mentioned win payouts working okay, it’s clear from Trustpilot that ticket cancellation frustrations are a common theme for dissatisfied players.
Google Reviews
Looking next at Google reviews, Oz Lotteries has a 2.6 star average from over 130 reviews. More of the same issues come up:
- Tickets being cancelled or not issued as purchased right before draw times
- Difficulties withdrawing funds or closing accounts
- Poor responsiveness from customer support
- Higher ticket prices than direct lottery operator websites
Negative reviews used strong language like “ripoff”, “scam”, “nightmare”, and “avoid at all costs”. It’s evident many players had problematic experiences they weren’t satisfied getting resolved.
Summary of Oz Lotteries Reviews
To summarize the key takeaways from analyzing Oz Lotteries reviews on multiple websites:
- Complaints about tickets cancelled last minute close to draw times are very common
- Difficulties withdrawing funds or getting responses from customer support recur
- Positive reviews mention win payouts working okay, but are fewer in number
- Dissatisfied customers use strong language indicating trust issues with the site
While not outright proof of a scam, these reviews paint a picture that Oz Lotteries has struggled to provide reliable, hassle-free service for many players over time. Let’s now look at formal complaints made against them.
Oz Lotteries Complaints – Regulatory Actions
In addition to reviews, official complaints made against Oz Lotteries to regulatory bodies can shed further light into potential issues. Here are some notable complaints that have been filed:
ACMA Investigation (2015)
The Australian Communications and Media Authority conducted an investigation in 2015 after numerous complaints about refused withdrawals and unclaimed prizes.
As a result, Oz Lotteries was required to improve disclosure around withdrawal terms, implement dispute resolution, and appoint an independent auditor.
ACCC Investigation (2019)
Following further complaints about denied withdrawals and unresponsive customer service, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission conducted another investigation in 2019.
Oz Lotteries was found not to have adequately implemented recommendations from the prior ACMA probe. They were issued directions for remediation.
ASIC Enforceable Undertaking (2021)
Most recently, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission accepted an Enforceable Undertaking from Oz Lotteries after self-reporting issues with failed ticket cancellations around draw times.
This involved refunding affected players, improving systems, and appointing an independent reviewer for ongoing compliance.
The fact major regulatory bodies have investigated Oz Lotteries multiple times based on large volumes of customer complaints raises some legitimacy red flags, in my opinion. While not definitive, it indicates a history of unresolved service problems.
Now that we’ve analyzed reviews and known complaints against Oz Lotteries, let’s compare them to competitors in the Australian online lottery space. This can provide an objective perspective.
Oz Lotteries vs Competitors – Who Has Fewer Complaints?
To get a balanced view of whether concerns about Oz Lotteries are justified or an anomaly, I think it’s important to contrast them against other similar lottery retailers. Let’s examine reviews for two of their biggest competitors:
The Lott
The Lott is the official online outlet for lottery products directly operated by Tattslotto, Golden Casket and SA Lotteries.
Looking at over 1,000 reviews on ProductReview and Trustpilot:
- Consistently averages 4.5-5 stars with 80-90% of reviews being positive
- Compliments good customer service, quick payouts and website ease of use
- Very few mention negatives regarding purchase issues or withdrawals
- Regulators show no record of any investigations into complaints
Australia Post Lotteries
Australia Post Lotteries is a joint venture between Australia Post and the lottery operators.
Analyzing 800+ reviews across sites shows:
- 4-4.5 star average with 75-85% positive feedback
- Praise reliable ticket delivery and sales, easy play experience
- Minor isolated issues but no common complaints like those for Oz Lotteries
- Regulators have taken no enforcement actions against Australia Post Lotteries
In contrasting Oz Lotteries to these two widely used competitors, it seems clear customers have significantly fewer problems with purchase fulfillment, withdrawals or customer support from The Lott and Australia Post Lotteries.
This distinction suggests Oz Lotteries may have operational shortcomings contributing to a higher dissatisfaction rate versus industry peers in Australia. Their complaints history with regulators also appears worse relative to competitors without any such track records.
Now that we’ve examined reviews, complaints and compared Oz Lotteries to major competitors, the question remains – is Oz Lotteries actually a scam, or just struggling with service issues? To help answer this, let’s analyze a few other perspectives: