Illinois Lottery glitch causes many duplicate Quick Pick tickets

May 7, 2012, 12:26 pm (39 comments)

Illinois Lottery

Mary Ellen Reiter felt like she got one losing ticket for the price of two after discovering that eight sets of numbers on one Illinois Lottery quick-pick ticket that she bought matched eight sets of numbers on another.

"I think that they should make it right," said Reiter, 52, of Evanston, who bought the duplicate tickets Sunday at a convenience store in the northern suburb. "The way I figure, I should at least receive back $5 of free quick-picks."

About 3,000 tickets were similarly affected out of 6.3 million sold from Saturday to Tuesday, a lottery official said.

Lottery spokesman Mike Lang said a glitch occurred Saturday and Sunday while new software was being uploaded to the quick-pick machines. The lottery learned of the problem Tuesday when complaints began trickling in, he said.

An audit found that some of the machines weren't clearing numbers out of their memories from the previous ticket issued, and that the old numbers were making their way onto the next ticket, Lang said.

The problem has been resolved, but the duplicates weren't bad news in every case.

"There were, I'm told, 340 duplicate prizes that won," Lang said. "So some people may have won twice."

All of the winning tickets were for small cash prizes, he said.

Reiter, a librarian, said she has played the lottery for 20 years, but her recent experience has left her unsure about whether to continue.

The cost of the ticket "isn't the issue — it's that I received less of a chance to win," she said. "So that's how I feel cheated."

The glitch comes at a poor time for Northstar Lottery Group, which expects it will not raise as much profit for the state as promised during its first year of running the lottery.

Officials have said they expect to post year-end profits of $770 million, less than the $825 million they promised the state before they were awarded the contract to operate the lottery in 2010.

Lang said Illinois Lottery officials have asked Northstar to increase its vigilance and testing procedures to reduce the chance that software problems will occur.

The lottery is offering to reimburse affected customers with quick-pick tickets.

Lottery staff, Lang said, have been instructed to refer those with duplicate tickets to him.

Chicago Tribune

Comments

TnTicketlosers's avatarTnTicketlosers

Goes to show you how much these lotteries are making off us.Here in Tennessee you get nothing back.They really hired them a winner to run it here.

maximumfun's avatarmaximumfun

oh my... a low big government contractor not able to fulfill his promises... shocking!

wait... and this will include the BIG lottery winfall from the MM prize money also?  they are really NOT doing even as well as IL was doing prior to privatization... shocking i tell you... shocking!

RJOh's avatarRJOh

So much for the theory that a private contractor can run the lottery cheaper and more efficient than the state.  If they are spending less it's because they are doing less, staying on top of things take man hours whether it's done by the state or a private contractor.

Ruud

Quote: Originally posted by maximumfun on May 7, 2012

oh my... a low big government contractor not able to fulfill his promises... shocking!

wait... and this will include the BIG lottery winfall from the MM prize money also?  they are really NOT doing even as well as IL was doing prior to privatization... shocking i tell you... shocking!

No, you're reading it wrong.  Northstar may end up returning less to the state than anticipated, but they will still return more than the year prior to privatization.

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by Ruud on May 7, 2012

No, you're reading it wrong.  Northstar may end up returning less to the state than anticipated, but they will still return more than the year prior to privatization.

Aren't lottery sales and profits increasing for most states, even the ones that aren't privatized?

Ruud

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on May 7, 2012

Aren't lottery sales and profits increasing for most states, even the ones that aren't privatized?

Yes, but my comment was in reference to another that said that profits would be down post-privatization, which clearly isn't true.

Lucky Loser

Oh, boy...here we go. I guess that, once again, I'm the only one that sees something positive in this ordeal as always. Okay, now the last lady that ended up with duplicate tickets, in Virgina I believe it was, ended up winning TWICE ON THOSE TICKETS! I can fully, completely, wholely, accurately, and solidly guarantee that had this individual WON ON THOSE DUPLICATE TICKETS, she wouldn't be complaining at all folks.

Then again, maybe just maybe I'm dead wrong here with my analysis. May she would've told the clerk, after she WON, "Hey, I only purchased this set of numbers one time and I have several sets which are winners!!! "Here, take the rest of these tickets back as I only purched these numbers once, okay." What?

Can people really not see the possibilty of a blessing in true disguise here? I mean, really...come on now. It amazes me how people find all the wrong in something just because it may not have come out "exactly" like they wanted it to. When I first read this article, the lady in Virginia was the absolute first thing which came to my mind.

You can win on the same duplicate numbers as you can lose on either way. Guess I'm just to sensitive with this sort of thing...and I have a niche for findind the good in most anything. I'm cursed with that I suppose. Just my .02.


L.L.




maximumfun's avatarmaximumfun

Quote: Originally posted by Lucky Loser on May 7, 2012

Oh, boy...here we go. I guess that, once again, I'm the only one that sees something positive in this ordeal as always. Okay, now the last lady that ended up with duplicate tickets, in Virgina I believe it was, ended up winning TWICE ON THOSE TICKETS! I can fully, completely, wholely, accurately, and solidly guarantee that had this individual WON ON THOSE DUPLICATE TICKETS, she wouldn't be complaining at all folks.

Then again, maybe just maybe I'm dead wrong here with my analysis. May she would've told the clerk, after she WON, "Hey, I only purchased this set of numbers one time and I have several sets which are winners!!! "Here, take the rest of these tickets back as I only purched these numbers once, okay." What?

Can people really not see the possibilty of a blessing in true disguise here? I mean, really...come on now. It amazes me how people find all the wrong in something just because it may not have come out "exactly" like they wanted it to. When I first read this article, the lady in Virginia was the absolute first thing which came to my mind.

You can win on the same duplicate numbers as you can lose on either way. Guess I'm just to sensitive with this sort of thing...and I have a niche for findind the good in most anything. I'm cursed with that I suppose. Just my .02.


L.L.




oh I dont mind about the duplicate of tickets.  you win you win.  however, if my goal were totally different numbers so increase my chances (gee seems like this topic is on another thread...) it would behoove me to have different numbers, which leads to the ethical conundrum you mentioned.  if that were my goal and i am planning to complain one way, then i should complain the other as well.  (no really... take my extra 1M back... i only wanted DIFFERENT numbers...)

my 'testiness' is a result of the privateers and their performance (arguably) or lack of same.  wait... isnt privateer another name for pirate?

Lucky Loser

Quote: Originally posted by maximumfun on May 7, 2012

oh I dont mind about the duplicate of tickets.  you win you win.  however, if my goal were totally different numbers so increase my chances (gee seems like this topic is on another thread...) it would behoove me to have different numbers, which leads to the ethical conundrum you mentioned.  if that were my goal and i am planning to complain one way, then i should complain the other as well.  (no really... take my extra 1M back... i only wanted DIFFERENT numbers...)

my 'testiness' is a result of the privateers and their performance (arguably) or lack of same.  wait... isnt privateer another name for pirate?

Thank you for grasping my point! Gonna complain one way, then complain the other way also...and give the winning tickets back. One must maintain an open mind when playing games like this, you know, because you never know what's gonna happen. I like your being quick on the draw!


L.L.

THRIFTY's avatarTHRIFTY

Quote: Originally posted by Lucky Loser on May 7, 2012

Oh, boy...here we go. I guess that, once again, I'm the only one that sees something positive in this ordeal as always. Okay, now the last lady that ended up with duplicate tickets, in Virgina I believe it was, ended up winning TWICE ON THOSE TICKETS! I can fully, completely, wholely, accurately, and solidly guarantee that had this individual WON ON THOSE DUPLICATE TICKETS, she wouldn't be complaining at all folks.

Then again, maybe just maybe I'm dead wrong here with my analysis. May she would've told the clerk, after she WON, "Hey, I only purchased this set of numbers one time and I have several sets which are winners!!! "Here, take the rest of these tickets back as I only purched these numbers once, okay." What?

Can people really not see the possibilty of a blessing in true disguise here? I mean, really...come on now. It amazes me how people find all the wrong in something just because it may not have come out "exactly" like they wanted it to. When I first read this article, the lady in Virginia was the absolute first thing which came to my mind.

You can win on the same duplicate numbers as you can lose on either way. Guess I'm just to sensitive with this sort of thing...and I have a niche for findind the good in most anything. I'm cursed with that I suppose. Just my .02.


L.L.




I usually react the same way when I get duplicate tickets, because I feel that it decreases my chances of winning.

I like your positive view about playing the lottery Lucky. Great post man.

Lucky Loser

Quote: Originally posted by THRIFTY on May 7, 2012

I usually react the same way when I get duplicate tickets, because I feel that it decreases my chances of winning.

I like your positive view about playing the lottery Lucky. Great post man.

Thank you, Thrift'. I really do look for the positive in all things because there is some in every situation believe it or not. It may not be completely evident at that particular time but, it usually materializes somewhere else which will remind one of that previous matter. Hasn't failed me yet...


L.L.

winwi5

She don't have to be leary about it in illinois we all need to be leary about it because this is what the lottery office does when they don't want to pay out that is why i say the lottery is set-up

This proves that the lottery is a scam why is it that when the jackpot is huge 1 or 2 people walk away as winners the lottery should set it up that once a year it is a big jackpot like the one in spain

This way their can be mulitple winners and millionaires, however they will probably have most of the winning tickets in ny or california.

PlayTwoWin

Pretty simple solution here.. Don't buy quick picks.

faber98

what we have to be leary about is that people like you who think the lottery is a scam are allowed to play it. how does this prove that the lottery is a scam. a programming error means that the lottery is a scam. i suppose you don't understand that most of the tickets are purchased in ny or california thus resulting in a preponderence of winners in those states.

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