Mega Millions host calls wrong winning number during broadcast

May 13, 2022, 8:28 am (61 comments)

Mega Millions

Strangely, New York pays out some prizes that matched wrong number

We all make mistakes, but for a host of the Mega Millions lottery, it's a potentially costly one: Prize payments for some Mega Millions tickets have been temporarily suspended after host John Crow incorrectly read the Mega Ball number during Tuesday's lottery drawing.

The first five numbers were called correctly: 15, 19, 20, 61 and 70. But as the gold Mega Ball, was selected, the number 9 — with a line drawn under it — could be seen on the ball. Crow called it as 6, as seen in a video posted online.

The original live video can be viewed on USA Mega's Mega Millions Drawing Detail page.

Later, the Mega Millions group replaced the official video on their website with one featuring an embedded caption explaining the mishap.

"The 9 ball was drawn in the chamber and is the official result," the caption states, adding the correct results have been audited by the accounting firm Preston CPA. "We apologize for the confusion."

Tuesday's estimated Mega Millions annuitized jackpot was $86 million, and there was no winning ticket. But there are five other prizes for having the correct Mega Ball number.

Mega Millions, except in California, pays $2 prizes for tickets where the holder matches only the gold ball number and $4 when the ticket has the gold ball and one other correct number (among the white balls). Matching two, three and four white balls and the gold balls also yield prizes of $10, $200 and $10,000, respectively.

But some people in New York who had the No. 6 Mega Ball were paid out, according to the lottery officials there.

"Due to human error relating to the May 10, 2022 Mega Millions draw, the New York Lottery paid a total of $5,538 to players who presented tickets with the incorrect winning number to retailers before approximately 10 a.m. on May 11," the organization said in a statement. "This payment was recouped automatically via a Lottery account for uncashed tickets. There is no impact on aid to education or taxpayer funds."

After a pause in payouts, New York Lottery officials said they have resumed Mega Millions prize disbursements at retailers.

"We will provide additional information as to when tickets may be cashed at New York Lottery Customer Service Centers and video lottery facilities," the organization said.

The estimated jackpot for Friday's Mega Millions drawing is $99 million (cash option of $57 million). Mega Millions tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands.

CNN, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

Raven62's avatarRaven62

All's Well That Ends Well for Everyone that had a MB-9 or a MB-6!

Bleudog101

Thanks for posting...appreciate it!!

 

Read the article two times and was thinking so what if the wrong Megaball was called?   Someone in NY still could have hit for a million with the five #'s, as well as the other secondary prizes.  Of course the article didn't mention that and any bettors out there think I could be on to something?   Look @ MM payout matrix!

 

Seriously though, the scanners that scanned the tickets paid out the correct amount IMHO.  Computer could care less if it was called out incorrectly...it's all in the barcode.

Big Joey

Legally, morally, ethically, the announcer said six instead of nine, so both Megaballs should be paid out for all wins.

Tony Numbers's avatarTony Numbers

Well lookie here, we just learned a dirty little secret. The lottery will recoup the money that was incorrectly paid out from the uncashed tickets fund. HUH!!! They also tell us the money goes to education, that's why we're flush with geniuses.

Tony Numbers's avatarTony Numbers

Wait a minute hold on, they paid out on a number that the host called incorrectly, that means whoever input the result didn't verify that the machine drew the NINE instead of the SIX. How much are they paying these auditors, and data entry technicians???

river26

  9  and  six should have  been  a  priority read  before  and  double check it before  announcement of  number  what  mellenial  stupid  fools  no  excuse  here  fire him

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Coulda, woulda, shoulda...let all those who have never ever made a mistake in their lives stone him and boil him in oil. 

cottoneyedjoe's avatarcottoneyedjoe

Yoo-hoo, Stat$talker, where are you?  Can't wait to read his take that it's brazen cheating to dodge his numbers to keep him from bankrupting the lottery. Lurking

Bleudog101

Pulled up MM winners from that drawing, encourage LP members to do the same.   Plenty of secondary/lower tier prizes without the Megaball.

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Quote: Originally posted by Big Joey on May 13, 2022

Legally, morally, ethically, the announcer said six instead of nine, so both Megaballs should be paid out for all wins.

Legally? How so?

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Quote: Originally posted by Tony Numbers on May 13, 2022

Wait a minute hold on, they paid out on a number that the host called incorrectly, that means whoever input the result didn't verify that the machine drew the NINE instead of the SIX. How much are they paying these auditors, and data entry technicians???

Exactly. That is the big issue. No verification of the input and no oversight???

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

When I watched the video, I could see the line under the 9 on the ball indicating the number drawn was indeed 9. Doesn't matter what the announcer said, the ball drawn was 9. 

Tickets with megaball 6 don't have the correct megaball number.

Tony Numbers's avatarTony Numbers

I gotta start scanning my losing tickets b4 tossing them. The entry clerk is a little shaky

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Yes Nod  I was thinking the same thing. 

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