…as local man claims company froze account after his virtual soccer bets struck gold
Moorosi Tsiane
FOR a few euphoric hours, Tumisang Lebese believed he had beaten the odds and landed a fortune. Then, he claims, it vanished – not through bad luck, but at the click of a button by the very company that was supposed to pay him.
The local man has dragged SIMA Communications (Pty) Ltd to the Maseru Magistrates’ Court, accusing the betting company of freezing his account and stripping it of winnings just as he tried to cash out an extraordinary M8,2 million windfall from virtual soccer bets.
Lebese is demanding M8,221,245.82 from SIMA, arguing the sum represents legitimate winnings accumulated through a string of bets placed on the company’s online platform between 29 and 30 January 2026.
In his court papers, Lebese says what began as a spectacular betting triumph quickly curdled into a legal battle after SIMA allegedly froze his account shortly after he attempted to withdraw part of his winnings.
He says he has held an online betting account with SIMA since around 2017, under the account name tlebese360@gmail.com. On 29 and 30 January 2026, he placed a series of bets on virtual soccer matches at varying stakes and odds. Some lost. Others did not.
“The accumulated sum of the winnings in the said two days totals Eight Million Two Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand, Three Hundred and Sixty-One Maloti and Ninety-Eight Lisente (M8,236,361.98),” Lebese states, adding that the balance had built up in his account by around 3:17am on 30 January 2026.
But just as he appeared to have hit the jackpot, he claims, the account he had used for years to deposit funds, place bets and request withdrawals; was suddenly frozen.
According to Lebese, he successfully initiated a withdrawal of M300,000 at approximately 3:16am, processed by SIMA’s system under transaction code XXOL9IFIG. Because of the size of the withdrawal, he was required to collect the money in person from one of SIMA’s shops, presenting proof of the transaction.
That, he says, is where the trouble began.
“When I presented the proof at the respondent’s shop for payment, it was not honoured by the respondent,” Lebese claims, alleging that SIMA staff took his proof of withdrawal and told him they would follow up regarding payment. “They never got back to me to date for that payment, nor was it ever honoured.”
He says he then attempted a second withdrawal of M5,000, which was also processed successfully. He sent proof of this transaction to SIMA via WhatsApp and requested payment through his EcoCash account – a request he says was likewise never honoured. It was after this second attempt, he claims, that SIMA froze his account entirely, locking him out of the M8,2 million still displayed on the platform.
Lebese says he went to SIMA’s headquarters later that day, 30 January, to demand an explanation, but was told the manager was away in Thaba-Tseka and could not assist him.
The saga took a further twist that afternoon. Lebese alleges that at around 3:09pm, SIMA deposited just M15,116.16 into his account, with no explanation for the fate of the remaining M8,221,245.82. He withdrew that smaller amount through M-Pesa, but says the outstanding millions were never returned to his account or paid to him by any other means.
Lebese maintains he placed his bets in accordance with SIMA’s terms and conditions, and that all winning bets were processed through the company’s own system. He says SIMA has, at various stages, attributed the discrepancy to a platform failure or technical defect, while also suggesting he may have breached its terms and conditions. He disputes both explanations.
He says the dispute dragged on for weeks through further correspondence with SIMA representatives, before it became clear, around February 2026, that the company would not pay out.
Lebese argues that by accepting his stakes, allowing him to place the bets and recording the outcomes on its own platform, SIMA entered into a binding betting agreement with him – one he now wants the court to compel it to honour.
He is asking the court to order SIMA to pay him the full M8,221,245.82, together with interest at 18.5 percent per annum, calculated from the date he says he was deprived of the money until it is paid in full.