When it comes to Florida Lottery games, the Ping-Pong balls get all the attention.
They carry the numbers that determine if players of games such as Lotto, Fantasy 5 and Cash 3 are winners.
Few people pay attention to the machines used to select the balls. At least, not until something goes wrong, as happened last week when a Lotto ball was selected... and then fell back into the machine's mixing chamber.
In an instant, the machine, manufactured by Garron Lottery Products in Baltimore, was the center of attention.
The company, formerly a division of a plastics company by the same name that made everything from high-end museum display cases to precision parts for defense contractors, had no comment. Company officials did not return repeated calls to discuss their lottery machines.
Garron has a solid track record and is one of the world's leading manufacturers of lottery machines, said Jackie Barreiros, Lottery director of public affairs. The company has earned about $237,000 from the Florida Lottery over the past decade.
The Florida Lottery has three machines for each of its games: Lotto, Mega Money, Fantasy 5, Cash 3 and Play 4. Before each drawing, one of the three machines and the set of balls to be used are randomly selected, Florida Lottery officials can't remember a problem such as the one that occurred last week.
The Lottery conducts routine maintenance on the machines and occasionally has to make repairs, such as replacing an acrylic part or motor switch, Barreiros said.
An inspection of the Lotto machine used in last week's drawing discovered an issue with the third feeder tube. It was corrected, and the machine was put back in service, she said.
Florida is one of 14 states that use Garron machines for its lotteries, according to the company's Web site.
They are also used by lotteries in Egypt, Guatemala, Leeward Islands, Malta, Nigeria, Russia, Saipan and Uzbekistan, according to the company's Web site.
In Lotto, six numbers are drawn, one at a time, with air pushing them from the mixing chamber into small chambers where the numbers are displayed on camera during the 11:15 p.m. drawings on Wednesday and Saturday nights.
But as last Saturday's numbers were being selected, hostess Michele Lyles stood behind the machine for a few seconds as the third ball drawn failed to appear at the end of the chamber. She finally called out the ball as 48.
"The number 48 ball actually made it all the way into the top chamber — where the winning numbers are displayed — for a quick moment," Barreiros said. "It happened very fast, but our security staff was able to see it when viewing the tape very slowly."
The ball remained in the tube until Lyles released the air to let it drop back into the mixing chamber, Barreiros said. Then the final three balls were drawn.
Barreiros said the Lottery has rules in place for such a situation.
"Any ball that enters the display tube and rises above the top of the mixing chamber is the winning number for that display tube," she said "Therefore, the ball was declared a winning number."
The 48 ball was a winner, but no player was. The $3 million Lotto jackpot rolled over. It is worth $7 million in tonight's drawing.
I like this news story because it provides a great, visual distinction between real lottery drawings (like the Florida Lottery's) and computerized drawings that are used in some states.
When there is a problem or glitch with a real drawing, everyone can see it -- the drawing hostess, the security staff, and even YOU, watching at home.
If this was a computerized drawing and a problem occured, guess what would happen. Nothing. You would never know about the problem and, judging from history, neither would the staff. You would be left with a drawing in which perhaps certain combinations of numbers would have no chance of winning, and nobody would know.
I like real lottery drawings, and this news story makes me like them even more.
One time I saw a nj Pick-5 drawing where the hostess had to reach her hand in and while looking away she grabbed out the next 2 # after the machine got stuck.
nj has stopped live broadcasts of its Mid-day drawings. So maybe you can't always see things. In fact during a live draw the camera zooms in on the tube so you don't see the balls trying to enter.
Online casinos are probably all computerized. I don't know about Poker but other games almost have to be.
The idea to have computerized drawings is (supposedly) to save $ for the State, and to (supposedly) make sure the results are as fair (random) as possible, not based on skill.
Computerized drawings that have been in operation for a long enough time should not have any problems. Things usually go wrong when the games are first brought in. Some Players are against them because they're harder to systemize, although it might be a good system in a new computerized game to not play doubles!
PA has ball drawings Evenings and computerized Middays. I have never won anything on any computerized drawing anyplace, but I like the idea that in one State you can choose to play the computerized OR the ball-drawings.
I have never won anything on any computerized drawing anyplace, but I like the idea that in one State you can choose to play the computerized OR the ball-drawings.
In which state can you choose which drawing you prefer and how do you do it? In most states you can only choose to play or choose not play at all if they have computerized drawings.
The article states: An inspection of the Lotto machine used in last week's drawing discovered an issue with the third feeder tube. It was corrected, and the machine was put back in service, she said.
If some worker failed to replace the tube properly then it isn't Garron's fault as some members here have stated lottery operators change tubes or fool around with the equipment then blame can't go to Garron.
I know people who work or worked for Garron and all these guys do a great job with their lottery products.
It sounds like Garron is being unfairly indicted for a drawing problem that is outside their area responsibility.
But you know the dark side is just going to use this as bogus example of how balls are "unreliable".
Sounds like you have not read any of the numerous news stories with catastrophic computerized drawing failures. You may put your trust in computers for fair drawings, but I sure don't.
You point out a little incident involving single drawing, and cast doubt on real drawings, but I guess you're implying you have no problem with months of computerized drawings in which huge swaths of tickets have no chance of winning.
You said "Things usually go wrong when the games are first brought in." But that's not what happened when the California Daily Derby drawings were corrupt for months on end. Or what about the Kansas drawings that were messed up? Those games weren't "just brought in".
And "Computerized drawings that have been in operation for a long enough time should not have any problems"? Like I said, not true!
Finally, the comment about online casinos being computerized is just plain odd. They are non-regulated Web sites for crying out loud, not verifiable government agencies!
You would trust some Web site based in Costa Rica more than a real drawing? Wow.
I've seen problems with Illinois drawings a few times. They follow the order. Pick 3 Pick 4 Little Lotto then Lotto (if it's played that night)
If there is a problem with any drawing they STOP and say "due to technical problems".
They turn off the camera and redraw and draw again after fixing the problem. They just don't show the drawing that night.
If your numbers came up during the problem drawing, it's too bad. That is the rules.
I trust their system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDGcsFk7e94&feature=related
MarkP
Here is the questionable drawing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6S4BXP3-BY
I don't like the way that they handled it....
MarkP
Another Garron machine :/