Petition for True Lottery Drawings

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There is an alarming trend among government-sponsored lotteries to change lottery draw procedures from using a mechanical drawing device to using computer-generated numbers.

Mechanical drawing machines, such as the ping-pong ball machines we're all familiar with from TV broadcasts, provide a physical and auditable means of ensuring a fair and truly random lottery drawing.

On the other hand, with computerized drawing results, the state lottery employs one or more computers to generate a "random" sequence of numbers.  Someone presses a button, and on the operator's computer screen the lottery results instantly appear.  Wait a minute, I have a few questions!

The states claim that they save money by using computers, thereby returning more revenue to the state budgets.  However, as we'll explain, this is not necessarily true.  Furthermore, utilizing computers can actually harm the process, the public's confidence in the results, and ultimately the lottery revenues.

With 14 states already on the computerized drawing bandwagon, it is time to put a halt to this practice before it's too late.

Most importantly, Lottery Post has always tried to be a voice of reason in the lottery industry.  We do not buy into conspiracy theories, and we would never sponsor a petition that smacked of conspiracy.  We are doing this because we feel the state lotteries are making a big mistake by going to computerized drawings.  They are not bad people with ill intentions: they are listening to the wrong advice, or perhaps not listening to their most fervent players.  Whatever you want to call it, they are making a gross miscalculation.

We urge you to sign the petition now, and send a clear message to Washington: that they need to put a stop to computerized lottery drawings, and impose federal guidelines on how lottery drawings are to be conducted.

— Editor, Lottery Post

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