To ensure fairness and integrity in its winning numbers...and that nothing but random chance alone makes a lottery ticket a winner, Ontario and many provinces use the finest lottery machines made by Ryo-Catteau. Most countries have or use Ryo-Catteau equipment. Our national lottery here in Canada, Lotto 6-49 and Super 7 use the "Tulipe" machine which is the brand name for that sytle. Great Britain's "NATIOANL' lottery does as well.
Made by a company in Wattrelos, France; Ryo-Catteau is the world's foremost producer of lottery equipment. Not to knock the U-S manufacturers, but Baetel and Smartplay Inc. in the U-S, pale in comparison in the quality compared to Ryo-Catteau. They are utmost.
The machine itself is about four to five feet high, it sits on a stand that is roughly another three to four feet high. It's on wheels so it can be easily stored away or brought into the lottery draw studio. The machine, which ironically the public can buy is about $90,000. When the machine is wheeled out, it is placed in front of the lottery set. It is plugged into a wall socket, like the type you would use to hook up your laundry-dryer.
The machine is unique. Ryo-Catteau's speciality is that when in operation, it mixes the balls thoroughly in a matter of seconds. It only takes about five to ten seconds to get a thorough mix. The machine is controlled by a controller that allows the lottery officials to control how many balls will be released based on the game being played that evening. In the case of Lotto 6-49, seven balls are allowed to come out.
The machine is always under heavy lock and key and so are the balls that are locked and stored in cases. The case of balls is sealed with a plastec security tag. The tag/seal has a serial number on it that is recorded/checked whenever the sealed cases are opened. Those tags have to reflect the security records. If a tag is not what its supposed to be, someone is in trouble. (grin)
When the ball case is opened, there are 49 solid india rubber 55 mm balls. Everyone of them are the same weight, diameter, density, and resilency. The number on the ball is not merely painted on or inked into the ball. The number is embedded into the rubber and is apart of the ball itself. Each lottery ball cost $300, this set of 49 balls is $13,000.
When the balls are placed into the rack of the machine, they are really put into a loader. The rack/loader usually sits slanted to the left side of the machine and the balls are introduced into the mixing drum by a slit on that same left side. When the machine is turned on, it is operated by a draws official from Ontario lottery, who controls the basics...dropping of the balls, the fast mix, and stopping the machine. The controller flips a switch that allows all the balls to fall into the machine.
Ryo-Catteau's patent is the counter-rotating paddles or drums and the unique trap door at the base of machine. That stationary base in the centre of the machine is called a crown. It never moves and holds the trap door that swings open every few seconds allowing each ball to fall into the ball display. After the controller/official starts the paddles, a second switch is turned on, It's lets all the balls drop in. From there they go from a manual mode on the controller into a automatic mode.
Balls mix quickly, and after about a ten second count when in its automatic mode, the Auditor/Trust Officer/the public's witness takes control and presses the button to activate the trap door. Potential Canadians millionaires await each ball that falls hoping to be the next. After the sixth ball falls, the controller takes back over and switches one more switch allowing the gate in the ball display to switch, so the bonus number has room to fall into into the ball display. He then stops the machine when all seven balls are down.
According to officials, it only takes about minute and a half to do the draw.
Now, the machines used for Ontario and Quebec games are called the "Lantana". The difference is that the Lantana has no paddles, just it's two counter rotating drums that do the same thorough mix. The patents and quality are the same, so you can be rest assured there is complete randomness in the process.
Derek
Wintariofan