Quote: Originally posted by wiseone2 on April 28, 2004
I don't believe it's the individual member states that control the number of winners in their state. All member states are part of a single lottery network. The central computer makes all of the decisions regarding winners and where they are sold. The software is programmed to make the necessary calculations, etc., and then sends out the quick picks accordingly. I believe the system can be "programmed" to send out a specified number of winners and any location in the network. Second tier prizes on down are distributed for every drawing. The lottery must have "winners" in order to keep players playing. As long as there are winners (not necessarily jackpot winners), people will believe they have a chance of winning--which is what the lotteries want you to believe. I believe jackpots are treated differently. Most people would think the jackpots would go to the locations with the highest sales or greater populations. Past jackput drawing results have shown that the opposite is the pattern....jackpot winning tickets are being sold in smaller rural communities and suburbs....usually with a population of less than 5,000. This is done to prove that "anyone, anywhere" can win. Colorado will dventually get a jackpot winner as well as any other participating state, just so the lottery can keep everyone happy and keep everyone believing that can win. Don't count on the winning jackpot ticket in Colorado being sold in Denver, however, lol.
wiseone2, It just isn't true. The lottery players would'nt put up with that kind of stuff. Every state lottery HQ building would be up in flames.
Many years ago I was at a local horse track, Penn National. The officals posted a horse which obviously was'nt the winner. With a few races left on the card the majority of enraged fans left. They trashed the place causing tens of thousands of dollars of damage. Local police were called in. The Pa State Police showed up in riot gear with dogs. It took many years to repair this tracks reputation.
Throw away the black helicopter theory. It just isn't going to fly.
Chas