Lottery sponsor questions move to computerized drawings
Three recent mistakes made by the Tennessee Lottery have not hurt ticket sales, the lottery's president and CEO said, but the legislator who led the effort to create the lottery questions the lottery's move to computerized drawings.
"At this point, sales in our products are up, so it hasn't had any impact that we can measure at all," Rebecca Hargrove said Wednesday. "We're almost 4 years old, and we've had three incidences, which if they'd happened once a year rather than all back-to-back-to-back would have garnered no attention whatsoever."
State Sen. Jim Kyle, D-Memphis, on Monday called for a special legislative oversight committee to meet this fall to review the mistakes.
The first problem was discovered Aug. 20 and prevented duplicate numbers in the lottery's Cash 3 and Cash 4 games from being drawn for 23 days. The problem occurred after the lottery switched pop-up ball drawings to using computer generated numbers, The Associated Press reported.
"The lottery is such an important part of funding for college and prekindergarten education that it is critical for us to maintain the public's confidence in these games so they will keep buying tickets," Sen. Kyle said.
The second incident stemmed from some Powerball tickets sold Sep. 6 and Sep. 7 having the incorrect jackpot listed on the ticket. The third mistake involved incorrect numbers being televised on Monday for the Cash 3 and Cash 4 midday drawing, the AP reported.
Dennis Bottorff, lottery board chairman, said program managers as well as the audit committee of the lottery board are conducting "a comprehensive review" of the incidents to make sure there are not any personnel or procedural problems.
"There's nothing that we see right now where there is any systemic problem or any infrastructure problem," he said. "But the prudent thing is to verify that."
Ms. Hargrove said two of the three incidences involved the Cash 3 and Cash 4 games, which make up less than 6 percent of the lottery's sales.
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., a former state senator from Memphis who led the effort to establish the lottery, said the integrity of the lottery is now in question.
He said he thinks the lottery should not have switched from the pop-up ball drawings.
"You got a traditional game, people are used to a traditional game, why reinvent the wheel?" Rep. Cohen said.
Interesting that their sales are up since going RNG. Likely simply the fact that most players don't follow the games that closely. They just plop down their dollars and go on with all their personal commitments.
"Even so, the lottery had a smaller percentage increase in total education dollars in the fiscal year ending in June compared with the previous year, figures show.
Total education funding increased about 3 percent this past fiscal year, compared with about 18 percent growth in fiscal year 2006, according to lottery data.
Ms. Hargrove said one reason for the smaller increase in 2007 is that there were no Powerball jackpots that reached more than $300 million. There were two Powerball jackpots larger than $300 million in the previous fiscal year, she said."
I believe there is misleading information, these people in charge of the Tenn. lottery are ridiculous. They think the people of Tenn. are push-overs. Yeah, sure sales are up from last year but growth has fallen from 18% to 3% for the past year. Hmmm, I wonder why? If you have to depend on PBall jackpots to bring in business, your lottery is in trouble, especially as of late, it has been getting hit low! Excuses are like @ssh@@1s, just about everybody has one.
Ms. Hargrove said two of the three incidences involved the Cash 3 and Cash 4 games, which make up less than 6 percent of the lottery's sales.
Obviously the 3 and 4 games are not a major concern of the lottery.
That's probably correct. Good point. People who play, for the most part, I think are not really "players" since quick picks are the majority of the sales. These same people would likely be buying tickets based upon the size of the jackpot that they could win, rather than the odds against them of winning it. So Pick 3 and Pick four, while having the "best" odds, would not be as interesting, since the jackpots are so comparatively small.
Quote: Originally posted by jarasan on Oct 7, 2007
In another article, battle between border states:
"Even so, the lottery had a smaller percentage increase in total education dollars in the fiscal year ending in June compared with the previous year, figures show.
Total education funding increased about 3 percent this past fiscal year, compared with about 18 percent growth in fiscal year 2006, according to lottery data.
Ms. Hargrove said one reason for the smaller increase in 2007 is that there were no Powerball jackpots that reached more than $300 million. There were two Powerball jackpots larger than $300 million in the previous fiscal year, she said."
I believe there is misleading information, these people in charge of the Tenn. lottery are ridiculous. They think the people of Tenn. are push-overs. Yeah, sure sales are up from last year but growth has fallen from 18% to 3% for the past year. Hmmm, I wonder why? If you have to depend on PBall jackpots to bring in business, your lottery is in trouble, especially as of late, it has been getting hit low! Excuses are like @ssh@@1s, just about everybody has one.
I could'nt agree more, whoever wrote this crap about their sales are actually up, has been smoking mushrooms ( schrooomin ). More bull$$## hype to cover their own tails. How pathetic are they ????
Quote: Originally posted by MADDOG10 on Oct 7, 2007
I could'nt agree more, whoever wrote this crap about their sales are actually up, has been smoking mushrooms ( schrooomin ). More bull$$## hype to cover their own tails. How pathetic are they ????
You're right-on Maddog, it's a load of BS. Saying that "education dollars are up" is a complete cover-up of reality. It could mean anything.
Let's see the quarterly report. That's what I'm waiting for. I hope it's out before the November 1 oversight committee meeting.
Quote: Originally posted by MADDOG10 on Oct 7, 2007
I could'nt agree more, whoever wrote this crap about their sales are actually up, has been smoking mushrooms ( schrooomin ). More bull$$## hype to cover their own tails. How pathetic are they ????
People in Tennessee;
Jackson Browne wrote and sang a song :
"Doctor my eyes -- tell me what is wrong"
ez
Interesting that their sales are up since going RNG. Likely simply the fact that most players don't follow the games that closely. They just plop down their dollars and go on with all their personal commitments.
Ms. Hargrove said two of the three incidences involved the Cash 3 and Cash 4 games, which make up less than 6 percent of the lottery's sales.
Obviously the 3 and 4 games are not a major concern of the lottery.
In another article, battle between border states:
"Even so, the lottery had a smaller percentage increase in total education dollars in the fiscal year ending in June compared with the previous year, figures show.
Total education funding increased about 3 percent this past fiscal year, compared with about 18 percent growth in fiscal year 2006, according to lottery data.
Ms. Hargrove said one reason for the smaller increase in 2007 is that there were no Powerball jackpots that reached more than $300 million. There were two Powerball jackpots larger than $300 million in the previous fiscal year, she said."
I believe there is misleading information, these people in charge of the Tenn. lottery are ridiculous. They think the people of Tenn. are push-overs. Yeah, sure sales are up from last year but growth has fallen from 18% to 3% for the past year. Hmmm, I wonder why? If you have to depend on PBall jackpots to bring in business, your lottery is in trouble, especially as of late, it has been getting hit low! Excuses are like @ssh@@1s, just about everybody has one.
That's probably correct. Good point. People who play, for the most part, I think are not really "players" since quick picks are the majority of the sales. These same people would likely be buying tickets based upon the size of the jackpot that they could win, rather than the odds against them of winning it. So Pick 3 and Pick four, while having the "best" odds, would not be as interesting, since the jackpots are so comparatively small.
I could'nt agree more, whoever wrote this crap about their sales are actually up, has been smoking mushrooms ( schrooomin ). More bull$$## hype to cover their own tails. How pathetic are they ????
You're right-on Maddog, it's a load of BS. Saying that "education dollars are up" is a complete cover-up of reality. It could mean anything.
Let's see the quarterly report. That's what I'm waiting for. I hope it's out before the November 1 oversight committee meeting.
My little ones got a $26 thousand dollar playground this year with the lottery money....
WONDERFUL.................WONDERFUL<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
let's dedicatee$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
this SONG to the CEO of the great state of TN^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
so they can "GET back to business as USEALL" !!!!!!!!
>>>>>> I not greedy
$$$$$$$$$$ for GREAT state ot tennessee!!!
pay moe $$$$$$ too!
LOTTO commission!
(member's)$100,000(bonus)
average yearly$$$ incentavive "plan"
will L@@K^^^^^^^ "G@@D" $$$$$$
in D children's (LITTLE)
stock'ngs on XMAS.....MORNING!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
wait aH Minute minute>>>>>
NY......."PSYKO"
(DON't ever>>>never>>>SAY<<<<XMAS again).....................
just (SAY)"HUMBUG"