Behind the scenes of the Georgia Lottery

Feb 14, 2006, 1:18 pm (22 comments)

Georgia Lottery

The Georgia Lottery had record-breaking sales last week — a whopping 80 million dollars.

The lottery has been around for 13 years now and lottery officials say 86 percent of Georgians play. But is it a fair game? WALB News took a behind-the-scenes look to find out.

Every day, two lottery employees and an auditor get things ready for the drawings. A computer will determine which machines, even which balls will be used.

Draw manager Bridgette Knight prepares to retrieve the machines that'll be used for the Cash 4 drawing.

"We have dual access where we actually go in where the draw specialist or the coordinator has access to one and the auditor has access to the other. That's the only way you can access it," she says.

"We've got security cameras in here that are on at all times."

The machines are watched 24 hours a day at WSB and Lottery headquarters down the street.

Across the studio, "This is where all the ball sets are stored," says Knight.

Even the rubber balls are sealed and under combination lock.

The electronic console that activates the machines is kept inside a cage secured with a chain and deadbolt lock.

Using a glove to make sure body oils don't get on the balls, the cases are carefully unsealed and the balls loaded into the machines.

"We load them up facing the camera."

Then the machines are tested and re-tested to make sure the same balls don't drop more than three times in a row.

With just one hour left before the drawing, the machines test properly. Now it's time to sign the security paperwork and wait.

"It takes us, as you have discovered, over two hours for every drawing, to just conduct a one minute drawing," says Ga. Lottery President Margaret DeFrancisco.

"These drawings are the basis of the integrity of our lottery. It is the foundation of that integrity. And so they have to be secure," she says.

At 6:58 PM, WSB-TV's Glenn Burns arrives and moments later the machines are turned on and the balls begin to bounce.

"They're entertaining and they're very exciting for the people holding the tickets. You're looking for failsafe, you're looking for reducing human error to the absolute tiniest fraction, to zero if you can get there," says DeFrancisco."

And on the day our cameras were there, they succeeded. Zero human error. No reason to think anyone could have influenced the outcome of this drawing.

"People have to know that when they're watching the drawings, that what they're watching is real and if they're holding that ticket and they think they might have a chance to win and that they have an equal chance of having their number, their ball selected," she says.

And that's a big payout for the 7,500 lottery retailers in Georgia and hope for the people who buy the tickets.

It also means HOPE for more than 900,000 college students who'll get scholarships.

That's a payout that can last a lifetime.

WALB

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Tenaj's avatarTenaj

Thumbs UpIf I had to choose to play only one state's lottery, it will be Georgia.  It's gets it's own followers.  To me it is as true as they come.

CASH Only

Thumbs UpIf I had to choose to play only one state's lottery, it will be Georgia.  It's gets it's own followers.  To me it is as true as they come.

You won't like the game replacing Lotto South-GA won't offer a cash option on Lose for Life.

emilyg's avataremilyg

Thumbs UpIf I had to choose to play only one state's lottery, it will be Georgia.  It's gets it's own followers.  To me it is as true as they come.

Yes Nod

konane's avatarkonane

Bet they read Lottery Post questions and speculation as to how security was handled regarding various games in other states, and did this piece to show the Georgia Lottery is vastly superior to others which are being doubted by some players.

Yes, Georgia Lottery has proper oversight and security. Big Grin

 

JimmySand9

I tell you, no lottery who uses computers to draw the numbers would agree to such a report.

Deertrail1950

      With Mega Millions at $120 Million and Power Ball at $300 Million, These two big boys should take  a page from Euro Millions. ALL THE MONEY NOW, NO REDUCTIONS, NO TAXES! THIS IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE

      The Governors of each state have the right to recall all elected representatives and Senators back home and tell them to get the job done. A boycot of the games will dry up revenues and the Govenors will listen.

cahaba's avatarcahaba

Bet they read Lottery Post questions and speculation as to how security was handled regarding various games in other states, and did this piece to show the Georgia Lottery is vastly superior to others which are being doubted by some players.

Yes, Georgia Lottery has proper oversight and security. Big Grin

 

I Agree!

lottery101

lol.......... did  you guys get the 009 for Ga evening draw?

Todd's avatarTodd

I tell you, no lottery who uses computers to draw the numbers would agree to such a report.

Amen!  Yes Nod

inittowin's avatarinittowin

The key words that the lady spoke were, "when lottery players watch the drawings, they have to know what they are watching are real."

Maybe the Florida lottery should listen to that and start televising the daily game drawings again, whatever the cost may be. Then those of us who have quit playing FL daily games, might start playing again!

emilyg's avataremilyg

The key words that the lady spoke were, "when lottery players watch the drawings, they have to know what they are watching are real."

Maybe the Florida lottery should listen to that and start televising the daily game drawings again, whatever the cost may be. Then those of us who have quit playing FL daily games, might start playing again!

might try forwarding this to fl. lottery

inittowin's avatarinittowin

I have previously sent them emails and they just give generic answers. Here is an email that I sent on Dec 28, 05. They replied to me on Feb 10th!

Original Message-----
From:  @swfla.rr.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 8:32 PM
To: asklott@flalottery.com
Subject: honest lottery
To Whom it concerns,
 
I am writing to let you know that I have quit playing the Florida lottery. I have played almost daily since I moved here in 1991. My daily games were the pick 3 and pick 4. Since you continue to not show the drawings in any form, I don't feel that I can trust the Florida lottery any longer.

 I have previously requested that the taped drawings be able to be replayed on the internet like other state lotteries. That has still not happened.

I will not play again until there is a live or taped televised drawing.

Sincerely,

************************

And the reply:

Dear Sir:
 Thank you for writing the AskLott Account.  In response to your inquiry, Unfortunately, that service isn't available by the Florida Lottery at this time. Maybe in the future as the system are updated, this along with other features may be added.  Thank you for your suggestion and the Florida Lottery would like to thank you for being a loyal supporter.
 Best Regards,
 
AskLott/afb
 
 
dumars798's avatardumars798

I have previously sent them emails and they just give generic answers. Here is an email that I sent on Dec 28, 05. They replied to me on Feb 10th!

Original Message-----
From:  @swfla.rr.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 8:32 PM
To: asklott@flalottery.com
Subject: honest lottery
To Whom it concerns,
 
I am writing to let you know that I have quit playing the Florida lottery. I have played almost daily since I moved here in 1991. My daily games were the pick 3 and pick 4. Since you continue to not show the drawings in any form, I don't feel that I can trust the Florida lottery any longer.

 I have previously requested that the taped drawings be able to be replayed on the internet like other state lotteries. That has still not happened.

I will not play again until there is a live or taped televised drawing.

Sincerely,

************************

And the reply:

Dear Sir:
 Thank you for writing the AskLott Account.  In response to your inquiry, Unfortunately, that service isn't available by the Florida Lottery at this time. Maybe in the future as the system are updated, this along with other features may be added.  Thank you for your suggestion and the Florida Lottery would like to thank you for being a loyal supporter.
 Best Regards,
 
AskLott/afb
 
 

Smart choice of stop playing

pick 3  n pick 4  n florida, 2

me that is bad that they can

collect lottery funds and can't

show florida players a true

drawing.Inittowin,again smart

decision i wish players there

would boycott lottery untill

players get a fair televised

drawing!!!  Cussing Face

Littlemanjen

We need to find out who this reporting crew is and send them to meet Losing Jeff and also have them try and get into a computerized lottery........yeah, right

konane's avatarkonane

BTW it takes Internet Explorer to access the video that the story is based on.  Tried with Firefox and it would not activate. 

 Party  Totally awesome to watch!!    Party

http://www.walb.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=680177&h1=Georgia%20Lottery%20revealed&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=247367&LaunchPageAdTag=News&act

Todd's avatarTodd

BTW it takes Internet Explorer to access the video that the story is based on.  Tried with Firefox and it would not activate. 

 Party  Totally awesome to watch!!    Party

http://www.walb.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=680177&h1=Georgia%20Lottery%20revealed&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=247367&LaunchPageAdTag=News&act

I noticed that.  WALB makes getting a link to the actual video file practically impossible, so I had to link directly to their proprietary popup box.  Unfortunately, their software does not work with Firefox.

I agree, that story is just great!

MrBobb

Bet they read Lottery Post questions and speculation as to how security was handled regarding various games in other states, and did this piece to show the Georgia Lottery is vastly superior to others which are being doubted by some players.

Yes, Georgia Lottery has proper oversight and security. Big Grin

 


I sure hope they read the Lottery Post forums! Maybe they'll read the replies about reinstating Lotto Georgia in it's original format.

Hey GLC - Please bring back Lotto Georgia!!

konane's avatarkonane

Bet they read Lottery Post questions and speculation as to how security was handled regarding various games in other states, and did this piece to show the Georgia Lottery is vastly superior to others which are being doubted by some players.

Yes, Georgia Lottery has proper oversight and security. Big Grin

 


I sure hope they read the Lottery Post forums! Maybe they'll read the replies about reinstating Lotto Georgia in it's original format.

Hey GLC - Please bring back Lotto Georgia!!

Me too!!!  However we'd be the last to know if they do read Lottery Post.  They have to "save face" and come up with the idea on their own!!  Green laugh  Green laugh  Green laugh

 

"Hey GLC - Please bring back Lotto Georgia!!" 

Yes Please, Pretty Please bring back Lotto Georgia!!   Big Grin Angel

MrBobb

Bet they read Lottery Post questions and speculation as to how security was handled regarding various games in other states, and did this piece to show the Georgia Lottery is vastly superior to others which are being doubted by some players.

Yes, Georgia Lottery has proper oversight and security. Big Grin

 


I sure hope they read the Lottery Post forums! Maybe they'll read the replies about reinstating Lotto Georgia in it's original format.

Hey GLC - Please bring back Lotto Georgia!!

Me too!!!  However we'd be the last to know if they do read Lottery Post.  They have to "save face" and come up with the idea on their own!!  Green laugh  Green laugh  Green laugh

 

"Hey GLC - Please bring back Lotto Georgia!!" 

Yes Please, Pretty Please bring back Lotto Georgia!!   Big Grin Angel




r2b2lynn

Are the GA midday drawings still televised???

Cause I missed it yesterday.

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

"People have to know that when they're watching the drawings, that what they're watching is real and if they're holding that ticket and they think they might have a chance to win and that they have an equal chance of having their number, their ball selected," she says.

you hear that computerized states with no balls? your players aren't getting a fair shot unless you have drawings with ping pong balls.

Chewie

"People have to know that when they're watching the drawings, that what they're watching is real and if they're holding that ticket and they think they might have a chance to win and that they have an equal chance of having their number, their ball selected," she says.

you hear that computerized states with no balls? your players aren't getting a fair shot unless you have drawings with ping pong balls.

So any state with a computer is rigged?  Either white balls or corruption?  WOW! Goodbye California!

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