'Classic' lottery game replacing Michigan Winfall

May 11, 2005, 2:07 pm (18 comments)

Michigan Lottery

Computerized lottery drawings may spoil the fun for some

Pick a number, any number.

When Classic Lotto 47 launches Sunday, nostalgic Michigan lottery players will get a new crack at an old favorite. The game allows players to vie for a grand prize starting at $1 million. Ticket buyers pick six of 47 numbers; matching all six yields the jackpot.

The latest lottery creation is a "throwback to the past," said Lottery Commissioner Gary Peters.

It's based on the Lotto 47, which ran from 1989 to 1993. The Bureau of State Lottery revived a revised version of the contest in response to many requests to bring back the old game, he said.

"We took an old game and made it better," he said. "We think it'll be a very successful game."

One thing that will not be a throwback to the past is the use of computerized lottery drawings.  Against player preference, the Michigan Lottery will be conducting the drawings using a computer instead of a real lottery machine.

A computer (Editor: emphasis added) will draw numbers for the game at 7:29 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, beginning Wednesday, May 18. The jackpot will increase by $100,000 at each drawing.

Classic Lotto 47 will replace the 3-year-old Winfall.

Every couple of years, "folks will want something new," Peters said. "People always want new games."

Wagers for the redesigned game will cost $1 each. Matching three numbers nets a $5 prize; matching four numbers, $100; and matching five numbers, $2,500.

Of the $2 billion the Michigan Lottery made in sales last year, it gave $645 million -- a record amount -- to the School Aid Fund, which supports public schools.

"Every penny of profit we make goes to support the public schools in the state," Peters said.

Winfall's final drawing will occur Saturday.

Editor's Note: Perhaps this is the way that state lotteries will spread the use of computerized lottery drawings throughout the industry.  They just change the game format, and work in the use of a computer at the same time.  Lottery Post urges its readers to make your voice heard loudly against the use of computers to conduct lottery drawings.  Sign the Petition for True Lottery Drawings, and contact your state lottery director, members of your state legislation, and your Governor.

Lottery Post Staff

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fbird's avatarfbird

I live in mi and am in the process of writing them to say I won't play because of their use of a computer to generate the numbers.....guess they want to retire the crew of people doing the drawings and as you suggest this is how they will sneak in the 'puter for our daily games..........

LuvToWin616's avatarLuvToWin616

I  hope  they never use computers here in michigan for the  for the pick 3 and 4   

liberal47's avatarliberal47

It's only a matter of time. It gives them the advantage of not having to broadcast drawings twice a day. That saves them money, and that means we get screwed.

JimmySand9

You have got to be kidding me. I am e-mailing the Michigan Lottery to stop them as we speak, and you should too.

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

computers are a cancer to the lottery.....

ryanm

  It's all about saving money.  The more money the lotteries save the more money goes to the programs the lotteries are supposed to support.

  People here may threaten to quit playing lotteries if they go computerized, but one day, everyone is going to get used to computerized lotteries.

  I already accept that it will happen and would continue to play Powerball and Mega Millions even if they went computerized.

Todd's avatarTodd



  It's all about saving money.  The more money the lotteries save the more money goes to the programs the lotteries are supposed to support.

  People here may threaten to quit playing lotteries if they go computerized, but one day, everyone is going to get used to computerized lotteries.

  I already accept that it will happen and would continue to play Powerball and Mega Millions even if they went computerized.





You're playing right into their hands, and if people approached everything in life that way (like lemmings) then things would be a lot different today than they are. 

You see, here in the good 'ole USA we have representative government, and the people we elect are supposed to work on our behalf.  The lottery directors are appointed by the people we elect, so they are supposed to be an extension of what we want.

If the people we elect (and/or their appointees) do not do what we want, we do not succumb to some unseen pressure and allow them to get away with it:  we first loudly voice our opinion, and then if they don't listen we toss them out.

Now, if you want to sit back while lottery drawings morph into a computer picking numbers, then you are certainly allowed to do that.  And if you feel comfortable that a cartoon animation shown to you after the computer chooses the numbers is a good way to validate the integrity of the drawing, then you are entitled to your opinion.  But I don't feel that way, and most other people who are polled on this issue do not either.

Personally, I don't think they should call them "drawings" anymore, because there is nothing being "drawn".  Maybe they should call them "selections".  How would that go over in a marketing campaign?  The Michigan Lottery can announce for their new game, "What a blast to the past, as we re-introduce the great 6/47 game, with number selections every Wednesday and Saturday nights!"

And you should read up on the subject, because it does not save that much money, if any.  If all you compare is what it costs to produce a lottery drawing with what it costs to have a computer selecting numbers, then yes, it is less expensive.  But any budget manager will tell you that there are a number of other factors that contribute to the bottom line.  Did you take into account that a certain segment of the population will play less (or not at all) when computers are used?  That's a fact, and it has affected some states already.

All around, and for many reasons, people should not take the "taking it laying down" approach to this issue.  It goes to the heart of why we enjoy these games.

JimmySand9

I just received an e-mail back from MI, and they say that they've been using RNGs since Oct. 2002. They say they haven't had any drop in sales. That's because they never used it to draw the winning numbers. We've got to stop them before they spread it's use to the other games!

MollyG's avatarMollyG



I just received an e-mail back from MI, and they say that they've been using RNGs since Oct. 2002. They say they haven't had any drop in sales. That's because they never used it to draw the winning numbers. We've got to stop them before they spread it's use to the other games!



Hi,

I know nothing about the Michigan lottery, but would like to ask a question.

What games have they been using the RNG's for?  All of them? or just one?

Did the general public know the game was by RNG's?

MollyG's avatarMollyG

Well,  I thought it was a fairly simple few questions....but, I can't get an answer here or on the Pick 3 forum.

JimmySand9






I just received an e-mail back from MI, and they say that they've been using RNGs since Oct. 2002. They say they haven't had any drop in sales. That's because they never used it to draw the winning numbers. We've got to stop them before they spread it's use to the other games!





Hi,

I know nothing about the Michigan lottery, but would like to ask a question.

What games have they been using the RNG's for?  All of them? or just one?

Did the general public know the game was by RNG's?



From what I know, they've used balls for all the games (until now). Maybe they used computers to pick which machines will be used.

MollyG's avatarMollyG

Thanks Jimmysand for responding.  I got this from the Michigan lottery:

Dear Molly,



The random number generator is used for Fantasy 5, Keno and Winfall. Winfall ends on Saturday and the RNG will be used for Classic Lotto 47, which begins on Sunday.



Thank you for the inquiry.



Lottery PR Department

Todd's avatarTodd

MollyG,

Thanks for posting that e-mail from the MI Lottery.  If I were a Michigan resident, I would be upset that all those games are being drawn by computer, and I would write all levels of government to see about getting it switched back to REAL lottery drawings. 

What a shame!

BTW, when you mentioned in one of your posts above about not getting a response, I'm sure that's because no one knew the answer.  It's probably better that people do not post "I don't know" on the thread, because then you'd get 10 or 20 "I don't know's".  You did the right thing by writing to the lottery - thanks.

wataguy153

Sirs:    When will we be able to post Mega-Millions,  on the computer,  again?  as it is we are locked out in New York City?  Thanks!

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