Texas Lottery suspends sales for 'All or Nothing' game

Jun 4, 2013, 8:27 am (46 comments)

Texas Lottery

By Todd Northrop

AUSTIN, Tx. — The Texas Lottery has temporarily suspended sales for its "All or Nothing" draw game.

The Lottery Commission says it has been notified by GTECH Corp., the lottery operator in Texas, of a game design issue. The issue is caused in part by player propensity to play certain numbers.

The Texas Lottery will evaluate placing limitations on wagers that can be purchased for any number combination in the game. According to the Lottery, The practice of setting liability limits is common in the lottery industry for games that offer guaranteed prizes.

"We have been advised of this game design issue and, in an abundance of caution, we have temporarily suspended sales for All or Nothing to evaluate the situation thoroughly," said Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery. "While we review this matter, we will honor all prizes for All or Nothing tickets that have already been purchased by our players."

Grief continued, "Although there have been no negative financial consequences to the state as a result of the identified game design issue, we will take any and all necessary steps to protect the financial interests of the state of Texas."

All or Nothing is played by selecting 12 numbers from a pool of 24. The game offers a variety of prizes. Players can win the game's top prize of $250,000 by matching all of the 12 numbers drawn by the Texas Lottery or by matching none of the 12 numbers drawn.

There are four All or Nothing drawings per day:  at 10:00 am, 12:27 pm, 6:00 pm, and 10:12 pm (all Central Time).

According to the Lottery, players have embraced the game and its unique playstyle, pushing sales beyond expectations. All or Nothing
launched on Sept. 9, 2012, and in its first eight months, the game has generated sales of $62.5 million and $36.7 million in prizes to players.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

jackpotismine's avatarjackpotismine

That's why if you have a system that works, keep it quiet. The minute 'they' know, they will stop it or change it.

Goteki54's avatarGoteki54

I agree, some people will never learn.

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Quote: Originally posted by jackpotismine on Jun 4, 2013

That's why if you have a system that works, keep it quiet. The minute 'they' know, they will stop it or change it.

I Agree!

Ronnie316

 in an abundance of caution,

is just another way of saying......... "The state will now hire more employees"

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

I agree with jackpotismine about keeping quiet about an actual winning system.

Also, in any form of gambling, casinos, racetracks, sports books, lotteries the number one priority is always 'protecting the integrity of the game'. All of these entities know that math is on their side and will eventually prove itself out.

If a flaw, real or perceived is found in any game suspending or eliminating it is the usual result.

CLETU$

Yeah they'll suspend or eliminate a game if they think players have found a flaw in the game,but would they also suspend or eliminate the game if they uncovered a flaw to their benefit?I think not.They would just keep their mouth shut and continue selling the tickets.

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Jun 4, 2013

I agree with jackpotismine about keeping quiet about an actual winning system.

Also, in any form of gambling, casinos, racetracks, sports books, lotteries the number one priority is always 'protecting the integrity of the game'. All of these entities know that math is on their side and will eventually prove itself out.

If a flaw, real or perceived is found in any game suspending or eliminating it is the usual result.

"I agree with jackpotismine about keeping quiet about an actual winning system."

That's good advice but this game wasn't shut down because of systems for picking the numbers. It was probably closed because a large number of players are playing all even and odd or all high and low. And/or possibly because a large number of players are playing the leftover set of numbers to win the match 12 and match 0 jackpots. The game really has two $250,000 jackpots and for an extra $2 a player can win both.

"All of these entities know that math is on their side and will eventually prove itself out."

They knew the math, but they also added the High/low and even/odd option on the playslips without knowing how many players would check those boxes. If a 100 players used both high and low or even and odd options and it won, the payoff would be $50 million. An aggregate payoff would be pennies on the dollar and could kill the integrity of the game.

The flaw would balance out over time, but with four drawings per day, I don't think they want to take the chance.

JezzVim

I use to give daily picks until the mob got angry that I didn't give up my system.  Ha!   Now I keep everythng to myself and make out like a bandit.   Mastered the 3 digit and went on to the 4 digit.  Keeping away from the 5 digit for my own reasons, the lottery wouldn't like a consistent winner in that game. 

I hear that the Megaball is going to be made more difficult to hit, I wonder why?

Jon D's avatarJon D

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Jun 4, 2013

"I agree with jackpotismine about keeping quiet about an actual winning system."

That's good advice but this game wasn't shut down because of systems for picking the numbers. It was probably closed because a large number of players are playing all even and odd or all high and low. And/or possibly because a large number of players are playing the leftover set of numbers to win the match 12 and match 0 jackpots. The game really has two $250,000 jackpots and for an extra $2 a player can win both.

"All of these entities know that math is on their side and will eventually prove itself out."

They knew the math, but they also added the High/low and even/odd option on the playslips without knowing how many players would check those boxes. If a 100 players used both high and low or even and odd options and it won, the payoff would be $50 million. An aggregate payoff would be pennies on the dollar and could kill the integrity of the game.

The flaw would balance out over time, but with four drawings per day, I don't think they want to take the chance.

I Agree! 

Sure, the game was paying out a few percentage more than it should, but GTECH notified the TLC of another problem. They are the ones that see the number population, coverage of combinations, duplicates/overlap, and betting patterns. They probably saw a potential problem with an extremely high prize liability looming in the near future.

The math is one thing, but lotteries operate with annual budgets, which could get clobbered due to certain people not acting like random number generators...the nerve! Wink

I don't see how they can limit wagers, or even if they remove the odd/even boxes, players can still do it manually. What they might do is similar to what PB and MM has, is to add pari-mutuel exceptions in the game rules, a cap on prize liability if the total exceeds some set amount or percentage of sales.

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by CLETU$ on Jun 4, 2013

Yeah they'll suspend or eliminate a game if they think players have found a flaw in the game,but would they also suspend or eliminate the game if they uncovered a flaw to their benefit?I think not.They would just keep their mouth shut and continue selling the tickets.

"if they uncovered a flaw to their benefit?"

There is no such thing as "a flaw to their benefit", they call that good design.  They call a flaw that benefit the players "a bad design".

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by Jon D on Jun 4, 2013

I Agree! 

Sure, the game was paying out a few percentage more than it should, but GTECH notified the TLC of another problem. They are the ones that see the number population, coverage of combinations, duplicates/overlap, and betting patterns. They probably saw a potential problem with an extremely high prize liability looming in the near future.

The math is one thing, but lotteries operate with annual budgets, which could get clobbered due to certain people not acting like random number generators...the nerve! Wink

I don't see how they can limit wagers, or even if they remove the odd/even boxes, players can still do it manually. What they might do is similar to what PB and MM has, is to add pari-mutuel exceptions in the game rules, a cap on prize liability if the total exceeds some set amount or percentage of sales.

"I don't see how they can limit wagers,"

Why couldn't they limit wagers?  They do it with the pick3 and pick4 games.  Don't you think their computers are powerful enough to track all the possible combinations and what has been waged on them fast enough?

Jon D's avatarJon D

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Jun 4, 2013

"I don't see how they can limit wagers,"

Why couldn't they limit wagers?  They do it with the pick3 and pick4 games.  Don't you think their computers are powerful enough to track all the possible combinations and what has been waged on them fast enough?

Anything is possible, but what limit? 100? 0.1%? What is practical without upsetting players with confusing and arbitrary rejections?

I haven't encountered anything about limits on pick 3/4 wagers, do you have a link which shows where they do that?

Only limits I heard of in recent memory was the MA Cash Winfall rolldown issue, limiting the amount of wagers per terminal and enforcing employee rules for use of machines, etc.

JAP69's avatarJAP69

Keep the system players happy who can not purchase their selections on a cutoff of number combinations and go pari mutuel for payout.

New Jersey does pari mutuel in their pick3 and whatever other games.

Other states have pari mutuel too.

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by Jon D on Jun 4, 2013

Anything is possible, but what limit? 100? 0.1%? What is practical without upsetting players with confusing and arbitrary rejections?

I haven't encountered anything about limits on pick 3/4 wagers, do you have a link which shows where they do that?

Only limits I heard of in recent memory was the MA Cash Winfall rolldown issue, limiting the amount of wagers per terminal and enforcing employee rules for use of machines, etc.

I don't have a link but I do know in Ohio on certain holidays, historical or special dates, if you want to play those numbers (pick3 or pick4) you have to play them early because they are cut off after a certain amount has be wagered on them.  I assumed that was standard in most other states too.

Subscribe to this news story