Didn't know this thread existed and I see it has been around for a while now. As far as whether or not lotteries are "rigged", I voted Maybe. Then I read every post since this thread began. I don't think the word rigged would truly describe what I or anyone else might believe that didn't outrightly vote NO. A better word would be "controlled". In a sense, we know the lotteries are controlled. Changing ballsets and machines are a method of control. Shutting down terminals one to two hours before a drawing are a method of control. Stopping play on particular numbers is a method of control. I've made comments and asked questions in other threads about what I would call "suspicious dvents" regarding lotteries that pay in excess of $100,000. The first computer class I'd ever taken was in 1988. The instructor of the class made mention of the lottery because a jackpot winner was produced and that person won by purchasing a "quick pick" ticket. Quick pick option had not been around long during that time. The instructor asked the class if we knew what that meant and no one did. She told us that it meant the computer "decided" to give out a winner. What is all involved in that statement....I don't know. I've often felt that the lottery would still be a lottery even if the numbers that were drawn could somehow be determined at will by the lottery, because theoretically someone could have played those numbers. The lottery would still be a lottery even if a specified number of winners were allowed, because the lottery would not know who held the winning tickets, thereby winners would be random. This was my thinking for a long time, and if true, I still had a chance to win, as would everyone else. Up until very recently I was pretty much certain the lotteries "controlled" winners by using the sales and number selection information they are able to gather and process prior to every drawing. Determining which numbers were played least and drawing those numbers as to only produce a limited number of winners. Why certain number combinations seem to never come up would also cause one to have some suspicion. How would the lottery control the game if it could? ...Through technology. Computers today can do just about anything you can imagine. The drawing balls in a drum can be magnetically charged as to pull them down to a metal shoot before releasing the charge and allowing the ball to fall free for example. To use Powerball as an example.... I've seen patterns as to where large jackpot tickets are being sold. Somehow they have been escaping the major cities in states that play the game and pop up in the smaller communities. The $100,000 winners usually are in the larger cities of a state, etc. When the state of Tennessee joined Powerball, the first drawing produced 5 $100,000 winners in that state, which seems more than coincidental, as no other state had more than 2 and most had none. As I've tried to find more information to support the fact that the lotteries were controlled more than we know, I began to realize something;
The stated odds for winning the Powerball jackpot are 1:120,000,000, which is astronomical. Our minds cannot comprehend how many different number combinations that really is. I've read how a lot of people that frequent this site believe in using "systems" of some sort in an attempt to gain an edge or predict what number combination might come up. Some are against using quick picks, even though 70% of jackpot winners won with a quick pick. An advantage of quick picks is that they can produce a number combination a person would never think of playing. All the while we are trying to get the "right" numbers played, the lotteries are doing more to assure no particular number combinations will be drawn.....what they call, keeping it random. I'm now believing that the lotteries for the most part are legit, even though they institute various forms of control. I've come to the conclusion that no one, no system, no thing, etc., can cause a person to win a jackpot other than simply buying a ticket and matching the numbers drawn. How did I come to this conclusion? Imagine this: If the drawing balls did not have numbers on them....what system would you use to determine which balls would be drawn? It would be impossible. Balls of equal size, weight, dimensions, etc., all have an equal chance of being selected. So why does putting numbers on the balls make any difference? The numbers only serve as a way to identify a particular ball for the purpose of winning or losing. Other than that, the numbers have nothing to do with whether or not they are drawn. When the lottery switches ballsets....a ball that might have been the number 1 in a different ball set, may be the number 35 in another. I think this is the best example of randomness anyone can give. So good luck to everyone and may your combination of blank balls be drawn in the $170 million Powerball drawing Wednesday night.