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February 24, 2014
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i was wondering does anyone know who gets the big money instant lottery tickets what cty or town, someone has to know, or is it random. how about the printers of the instant lottery tickets, they can track where they are, or how do they do it,that know one knows, its hard to believe, i dont buy instant tickets
United States
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November 29, 2012
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There was a reddit on this...the manufacturer knows which packs of tickets have the higher tier prizes (but not where the tickets are shipped), the lottery knows where the packs are shipped (but not what packs contain the top prizes).
Massachusetts United States
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April 14, 2006
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does state lottery officials know where the jackpot instant tickets go what town ect,
Yes they do. The distribution of the top prize winners in instant games is desperately random, meaning it is not random at all. But they will have you believe that it is random so you keep believing For example you will not see Boston convenience stores selling majority of the top prize tickets winners even though Boston leads by far in selling instant tickets. etc etc
frontenac, kansas United States
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December 3, 2008
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Quote: Originally posted by Toronto on Jun 26, 2014
There was a reddit on this...the manufacturer knows which packs of tickets have the higher tier prizes (but not where the tickets are shipped), the lottery knows where the packs are shipped (but not what packs contain the top prizes).
I just flat dont believe this. I am not calling you a liar but i would like to hear it from the manufacture and the lottery....
If manufacture knows which pack, that pack has a number and that worker knows that number....i talking about the serial numbers....and if that is the case someone would figure it out and trace the big payout ones.
I would really like to know myself how they do it.
Los Angeles, California United States
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December 2, 2013
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Quote: Originally posted by atoz on Jun 29, 2014
I just flat dont believe this. I am not calling you a liar but i would like to hear it from the manufacture and the lottery....
If manufacture knows which pack, that pack has a number and that worker knows that number....i talking about the serial numbers....and if that is the case someone would figure it out and trace the big payout ones.
I would really like to know myself how they do it.
I read an article in which they interviewed a former lottery security director from a large state (didn't disclose which state). He basically said the same thing, that there's a double blind system in place. Nothing is impossible, but he also said that about 6 different people from the lottery, gaming company, and auditing company needs to be in on the conspiracy to pull it off, but they would be found out quickly through their auditing process of winners.
This was in response to the scandal in Indiana where their lottery security official had the information as to where the pack with the top prize was shipped. He sent his friends to buy the pack and bought the jackpot ticket. The plan unraveled. He was convicted and went to prison.
Los Angeles, California United States
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December 2, 2013
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Quote: Originally posted by mrcraft on Jun 29, 2014
I read an article in which they interviewed a former lottery security director from a large state (didn't disclose which state). He basically said the same thing, that there's a double blind system in place. Nothing is impossible, but he also said that about 6 different people from the lottery, gaming company, and auditing company needs to be in on the conspiracy to pull it off, but they would be found out quickly through their auditing process of winners.
This was in response to the scandal in Indiana where their lottery security official had the information as to where the pack with the top prize was shipped. He sent his friends to buy the pack and bought the jackpot ticket. The plan unraveled. He was convicted and went to prison.
He was convicted and went to prison.
It turns out he didn't go to prison. He accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to 8 years of home detention. South Bend Tribune article.
San Angelo, Texas United States
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January 31, 2003
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Quote: Originally posted by atoz on Jun 29, 2014
I just flat dont believe this. I am not calling you a liar but i would like to hear it from the manufacture and the lottery....
If manufacture knows which pack, that pack has a number and that worker knows that number....i talking about the serial numbers....and if that is the case someone would figure it out and trace the big payout ones.
I would really like to know myself how they do it.
I believe this is how its done in Texas.
a. The lottery firm with the contract designs the scratch tickets, or adopts one used by another contractor.
b. The contractor, using confidential guidance by the lottery, prints the tickets including the specific number of winners. The total approximates
the state/player shares with the state getting the larger share.
c. The tickets are bundled in packs and sent to a warehouse in Austin, Tx for distribution.
d. UPS (not the post office) distributes the packs to the lottery vendors state wide. There is no way the distributor can know the prize amounts for
tickets in each pack.
e. Lottery vendors verify they have a packet by entering required codes via their lottery terminal prior to sale.
Note: This where the crooks lose - trying to redeem stolen tickets from a pack not activated by a vendor.
f. The tickets are sold according to price points ($1, $2, etc). The vendors don't know the prize amounts beyond what is stated at the lottery website.
g. Those who purchase the tickets redeem winning tickets locally if the prize is $599 or less. Larger
prize tickets have to be redeemed at a state operated facility in person or by mail. Million dollar plus winners
have to make a personal claim at lottery headquarters in Austin.
h. Losing tickets are discarded. Unfortunately, sore losers throw them to the ground and they litter the area.
i. Logic dictates that the lottery ticket supplier knows the exact packs where all the winning tickets are included, but doesn't know where
the packs are distributed for sale.
j. The Texas website provides information about particular games, sales price, total tickets in circulation and prize distribution,
but doesn't provide any clues on where the winners are being sold. The site lists the minimum winning guaranteed total for each pack, which is always less than the total ticket sales. Of course, the total winnings is much higher if a large winning ticket is in the pack.
j. The contractor knows the serial numbers for all winning tickets are and can confirm or deny claims, but doesn't know where the tickets are located.
k. The lottery decides where the individual game tickets will be offered for sale. The high dollar tickets usually go to vendors in areas where folks have higher incomes and more money to spend.
l. The lottery distributor knows where the individual packs were delivered, but doesn't know which pack contains winning tickets above a certain amount.
m. Bottom line, it's a random process. People only know what they need to know to facilitate sales.
So, to answer the question.
Logic dictates that only the contractor/publisher knows which of the millions of tickets printed is a winner, including the top prizes.
It's doubtful that this information is circulated. True, it could be stolen, but finding the pack having a specific ticket would be all but impossible.
The suggestion that someone could use serial numbers to figure out where the big winners are is somewhat ludicrous.
The lottery knows there are a certain number of winners for each game, but doesn't know where the specific winners are located.
About the only thing folks who buy scratch tickets know for certain is that there aren't many winning tickets being sold.
It's a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
There have been instances in Texas where the sale of high dollar winning tickets to the same person has drawn suspicion.
Of course, the details of any investigation would be confidential.
Happyland United States
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September 1, 2013
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Quote: Originally posted by mrcraft on Jun 29, 2014
I read an article in which they interviewed a former lottery security director from a large state (didn't disclose which state). He basically said the same thing, that there's a double blind system in place. Nothing is impossible, but he also said that about 6 different people from the lottery, gaming company, and auditing company needs to be in on the conspiracy to pull it off, but they would be found out quickly through their auditing process of winners.
This was in response to the scandal in Indiana where their lottery security official had the information as to where the pack with the top prize was shipped. He sent his friends to buy the pack and bought the jackpot ticket. The plan unraveled. He was convicted and went to prison.
+1
As most players know, this type of information is never written down or dispersed among employees. The digital file containing information on the winning tickets is encrypted. Contrary to popular belief, the lottery cannot just open the file and read its contents at will. The system I am aware of utilizes 3 separate encryption keys: one chosen by the vendor, one chosen by the lottery, and one chosen by an outside independent auditor. The ONLY way the information in this file can be seen or unlocked is if ALL 3 parties come together on it. On top of that, anytime the the file is accessed, the system records an entry with identifying information. So there's no way to do it without someone else noticing. Outside of initial shipment, ticket data is almost never accessed except in extreme cases when extra verification, or investigation into suspicious circumstances, is needed.
If the chances of winning the jackpot are so slim, why play when the jackpot is so small? Your chances never change, but the potential payoff does.
If a crystal ball showed you the future of the rest of your life, and in that future you will never win a jackpot, would you still play?
Marquette, MI United States
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August 20, 2005
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If you search LP you will find a famous case that happened in Indiana where someone in Indiana Lottery security told a buddy where a big scratcher would be sold and the guy went to that store and bought the whole pack of tickets and got the $1,000,000 winner. It is on here somewhere and this is the umpty bajillionth time this thread has come up.
For example you will not see Boston convenience stores selling majority of the top prize tickets winners even though Boston leads by far in selling instant tickets. etc etc
