Many of those who choose to play lottery games, do so because they like the convenience of the system and the fact that their involvement is minimal. This explains why so many choose the quick pick solution for purchasing tickets, and let the computer generate the numbers on their behalf. The risk of becoming emotionally attached to a set of numbers is mitigated, while the time spent selecting the numbers for each ticket is also decreased. An interesting incident that occurred in Phoenix raises some questions about how random the quick pick system really is and even questions the integrity of the lottery.
What Are The Odds?
When the employees at Hughes Performance decided to go and buy their weekly Mega Millions tickets, it was the owner Jan Bleichroth who collected the money and make the purchase. Much to his surprise, two the tickets had the exact set of numbers printed, which statistically speaking is less likely to occur than winning the lottery itself. While Jan only discovered this strange occurrence by the time he got back to work, he was quick to contact the Arizona lottery officials seeking an explanation.
They concluded that the two tickets were not copies and took the machine that generated them in for a set of tests, but the officials didn’t manage to answer most of the questions. In theory, it is possible to have two identical betting slips, given the fact that both the kids were printed by the same machine in the same day is highly unlikely. The lottery informed Jan that in addition to inspecting the machine for technical flaws, they’ll conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine if there were similar events in the past.
Conspiracy theory enthusiasts rejoice
The incident itself led to a string of additional questions regarding the lottery, and many people began questioning whether the system is truly random and if the lottery is a legitimate business. It is not very difficult to assume otherwise, given the fact that the odds of actually winning the prize are reduced and most of the players end up on the losing end. Conspiracy theorists regard this incident as another confirmation that their fears were justified, and advise players to stay away.
On the other hand, lottery officials emphasized the fact that such an occurrence is statistically possible, but promised to look at this issue from all vantage points. They reassured the audience that the integrity of the lottery is uncompromised and that the central gaming system is just as secure and fair as it has always been. Some people find this downright frightening, but those who can take a step back and place this incident in the great scheme of things, will probably dismiss it as an accident and keep playing the lottery.
About Ben Imler
Hi there, my name is Ben and you can find me on Google+. I`m here to share my passion about the lottery. Lottery players from all over the world will find the latest lottery news, events, promotions and results on our sites. We have gathered more than 40 the biggest world`s lotteries here and I promise, we are not going to stop.
