All live ball drawing lotteries probably test the machine mechanics to make sure the balls are being mixed, there is no blockage in the tube, and the valves are working properly. Ohio's live drawing begins showing three sets of 10 numbered balls in three different containers for Pick-3 and four sets balls for the Pick-4 being mixed. The host will say hello, announces the Pick-3 drawing, all three values are opened at the same time, the camera pans in on the balls, and the host announces the drawn digits in order. They announce the Pick-4, the same process is repeated, do it again for Rolling Cash 5, and Classic Lotto on the nights it's drawn.
From my point of view the balls are mixing so fast I can't see the numbers and never see just one ball floating under the tube. You can hear it's a noisy process and the hosts have to speak louder to be heard over the sound of the balls banging against the top, bottom and sides of the containers. Basically the balls that happens to be in the right place when the valves are opened are the drawn numbers. It sure looks like a random drawing to me.
"It really is insulting to us, the fact that they give us the past winning numbers and think we don't need the pre-game test draw results."
It depends if you believe the drawing process makes a random drawing. The test drawings probably have different timing than the actual drawings but the results are just as random. The only affect previous drawings could have on future drawings is the wear and tear on the balls. If you don't think the drawings are random, I suggest you show your proof to the state lottery director. Better yet, if you believe the drawings are predictable, use that knowledge to win lots of money.
I would be less likely to play a straight combination that was drawn in a test draw before the actual drawing because of the percentages. However even the Texas Lottery doesn't publish the test results before the next drawing so that information is useless to me.
If the state lottery does record the ball numbered results of the test drawings, that information should be made available to any or all players upon request. If there are many requests, the lottery might start publishing the results monthly, weekly, or even daily.
I'm assuming Texas does it because of the statistics professor at San Antonio College.
https://www.lotterypost.com/thread.aspx?tp=167779&q=Texas+students&rp=search&get=949724
http://sacstat.org/