Lottery Post Exclusive
By Todd Northrop
In early August, when Tennessee Lottery players began seeing the effects of the state's new computerized drawing system, and didn't like what they saw, the lottery's spokeswoman responded with reassuring words.
Now she is forced to eat those words.
"The security and integrity of our games is of utmost importance," said Kym Gerlock, a spokeswoman for the Lottery. "There's no reason to doubt these drawings or question the integrity of how we do the drawings."
Frank Harrell, chairman of the biostatistics department at Vanderbilt University, added that computers could even be more effective in generating random numbers than lottery balls.
"The chance of a glitch is so nil," Harrell said.
But seasoned lottery players from the community web site Lottery Post (www.lotterypost.com), which is visited from lottery players from around the world, had heard that song and dance before.
According to lottery players on the web site, problems, bugs, glitches, and suspicions have gone hand-in-hand with computerized drawings ever since they came into being.
Instead of "Random Number Generator," RNG should actually stand for "Really Not a Game," according to jarasan, a Lottery Post member for over a year.
"RNG = Really No Good," added DoubleDown, a member since 2003.
In mid-August eagle-eyed Lottery Post members began seeing a problem with the drawings — namely, no doubles, triples, or quads were being drawn.
On August 11, Lottery Post member ToadSchmode announced the problem on the forums.
"Since Tenn went "RNG" (2 weeks ago) there has been "NO DOUBLES" drawn in any of the Pick 3 or pick 4 draws," ToadSchmode wrote. "This is random???? It's very rare for a pick 4 game to go even 5 days without a double in it. Wonder how long it'll take'em to realize it?"
The answer to his last question is "10 days."
On August 21, after receiving numerous complaints from Lottery Post members, and after replying with form letters saying that the lottery was running successful tests that generated doubles, the Tennessee Lottery finally admitted their drawing software had a fatal glitch.
The lottery blamed the error on "an outside, third-party contractor."
The Tennessee Lottery did not explain — and to this date has not explained — how they could have claimed that their employees ran successful tests, even though the drawing software itself was flawed to the extent that it would never generate doubles.
"We hope players will accept and embrace the new technology," Gerlock had stated four days before the glitch was initially discovered by Lottery Post members. "What people really want are winning numbers."
It turns out what people really want are real lottery drawings, with real drawing equipment.
Keeping the heat turned up on high ...
Good story, Todd.
Ya Ya Some Body Has to Take the BLAME YELL:
"Frank Harrell, chairman of the biostatistics department at Vanderbilt University, added that computers could even be more effective in generating random numbers than lottery balls.
"The chance of a glitch is so nil," Harrell said. "
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Well Mr Harrel, looks as though you need to be going to night classes too...? Right, I mean if someone with your stature can make a blunder as the Lottery did, I would think you need to go back over those statistics as the LOTTERY needs to start thinking about going back to ball draws.
This is a slap in the face to the commission, and the only way to gain "face" again is to trash the computerized drawings ASAP........! If the Lottery commission has the intestinal fortitude, it needs to put the trust back into this issue now...!
By the way, who pays you ? Vandy U, or the Lottery? Either way you need to take the heat also for that statement of yours...
I've heard that crows pie is delicious with a hint of hickory, don't you...?
Umh, umh, uhm d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s......!
She might eat those words, but then she'll hurl them right back up. We've got a long way to go before they'll change.
I feel passionate about this because I know in my heart something is very wrong. More specifically, I know that the lottery players of Tennessee are being wronged. They deserve better than this.
Funny, I was thinking the same thing.
Do you send these stories out to the mainstream media also? Maybe as a press release? I'd love to see one of them pick it up. Even if it were just within TN state like a local news station or daily paper, I think it would have an impact.
right now would be the perfect time to raise a ruckus and tell them we want the balls back.
Can you see the headlines ?
Tennessee players have been "neutered " ......they have lost their balls and want them back !
LOL!! I GOT NEUTERED FINANCIALLY LAST YEAR WHEN THEY BANNED ONLINE
bad thing for me is i got hit bad when i couldn't fund my account to play online anymore.by the time this computerized tennessee crap came along i was kind of like the person who had been through so much bullcrap that i just kind of let it be.i nearly had a nervous breakdown last year when they passed that monkey ass law banning gambling.it cost me quite a few easy extra grand a year.this computerized stuff hasn't really upset me as much becuse i already learned it won't do me no good to raise hell because what the government wants the government gets regardless of how silly the logic behind it is.
Headline: Tennesseans Demand Their Balls Back
hey doubledown.....tennessee got a LOTTERY VASECTOMY,lol!
rdc,yep tennessee lost their balls.
But the important thing is for the players not to lose theirs.
Show em that your vote ( no $$ ) means something.