I am still rather new to this board. Thought I would chime in on this one. The computer draws I think need to go. Its to easy to manipulate them even if the thing is certified by an outside audit agency. Which being a contract thing, if the lottery people that are handling the contract with the outside firm is not doing what they want, the outside auditor will get dropped somehow someway and very quietly. Its never to hard to find a contractor for government affiliated work. Another example is slot machines compared to computer draws. Mind that the chips are different but they all operate under the same principal. In a casino slots one of the best places to be is next to an entrance, bar, main walkway, etc..., anywhere there is alot of people seeing you win. Other people see you win and they are more inticed to go for a machine and play more. Mind you this strategy has gone a little downhill over the years once the statistics came out on this, But the concept still stands. If the Random number chip can be manipulated like that then whats keeping them from doing that with a draw in the lottery? Now this part may be a bit "cry wolf"; I am not entirely familiar with the afternoon drawings here in PA, but I believe those are all computer drawings, and since there is no person there, clock in the background, etc...how do I know that the draw was not done at 12pm and they did not like the number so they did a redraw.
I am sure these are the typical arguments out there about the computer draws but after all these questions I only ever heard of someone manipulated the ball draw once. If I recall once that was discoverd it guy fired, guy sued, guy lost, guy went to jail, and everyone working for the lottery was stripped of being able to play.
Comparing all the questions with computer opposed to the ball draw. I will trust the ball. Nothing can be proven with computer draws; ball draws are based on chance and physics. With the physics factor you immediately have evidance of something wrong or a tamper with the machines.
On another front that has no baring on valitaty or not. With all this go green stuff out in the world, would not a computer eat up more electricity then a simple motor making a fan go round.
Ok there is my 2 cents.