Yipe.

" drawings will continue to move forward with the utmost integrity."

___________________________________

something to meditate about :"Pick 3 programming code that prevented the numbers eight and nine from being drawn in certain positions"  so i get from this is that there is definetly a mathematical algorythm behind this.absolutly nothing is random in the computer drawings  !maybe code is something like- IF 8 is drawn 5 times with 6 then draw 7 5 times with 5 and so on...

They only looked into it when lottery players complained... So how come they couldn't tell something was wrong?

Worse yet, in how many other states is the same thing happening, because the players have not complained?

Worse still, in how many states has this happened and the players complained, but the lottery officials didn't or wouldn't

listen to them?  Something to think about...

If they must use computerized drawings, I would think they would do a series of test drawings immediately prior to each actual drawing. This would be quick and easy with a computer, just have it do 10,000 draws and print out a statistical analysis of numbers drawn percentages, positions/numbers percentages, combination percentages, etc. The more pre-draw trials the better as the more draws the more equal all number sets should be...

I hope they don't mess up my PA Mid day computer drawing...my bread and butter.

Sweet as honey.

Are we supposed to take their word for it?. It will happen again.

Why didnt anyone from LP take advantage of the mistake

Instead of a 10x10x10 for a straight.. it wouldve been
10x 9X 9 for a straight.  810 numbers for a $900 online win... all day everyday

"The Arizona Lottery assures our players that the issue has been remedied, and the Pick 3 drawings will continue to move forward with the utmost integrity."

That's absolute nonsense.

How can you assure anybody of anything when you don't even know when your fake computer drawing is malfunctioning?

What the bloody hell is so wrong with real ball drawings?

Is it just too hard to program wins for your buddies that way or what?

Your silly excuse that it's too expensive is bullsh*t and you know it.

You're a bunch of thieving crooks just like everybody else in government.

I guess you can't believe lotteries when they say they constantly check and test their equipment to make sure their drawings are fair.  Sounds like they wait until someone complains and then check.

I noticed it to a while back I thought I was going crazy myself. I do play online and I was looking at all of the past patterns.

In Arizona the keys are usually the 1st and 3rd positions only never in the 2nd. I thought this was odd.

That's right RJOh, they're our state lotteries but they're about as responsive to us as anybody else in government is, which is not at all.

The players want real ball drawings and they simply refuse because we'd be able to see what's going on too easy.

And they're all just political hacks with plush, cushy jobs who got their positions because of who they know and they couldn't care less what we think.

Utmost integrity?....... yeah, and maybe things will start to fall ....UP !

People are mistaken when they think that "Random" means that anything can happen.

Maybe that is why they don't notice some problems.

Even with so called "random" there are some limits.

Perhaps even the so called "Math Experts" don't understand random statistics any better than "Joe Blow", it is for sure that the state lottery people are not  "Lottery Experts", remember the "No Doubles" pick 3 thing on Tennessee?

I think its still a problem in Arizona cause its not even 12am out there and the draw is out early like around 11:3pm I think they are still having issues.

This sounds like a repeat incident from 15 years ago in AZ:

http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/1998/06/12/32669-no-9-error-cuts-76-000-from-prize-in-pick-3/

Problem is, the state lottery people do not have expertise. They are provided equipment by various vendors and contractors, given instructions on how to operate it. But they are not experts. They are not analyzing the results like many players are for statistical anomalies. Ball drawings are not immune either, but more straighforward than a computer draw with hidden code and settings.

There will continue to be issues like this, as long as there is no expertise in house. (like so many similar incidents in CA, KS, TN, and AZ) This also means someone at the vendor could purposely slip some "flaw" in there without them knowing too.

WOW! Ouchy! Computer bad!

Oh boy, seriously?

C'mon, 3 pre-tests and 3 post-tests or more doesn't bother anyone in a ball drawing? It happens everyday. Can you imagine how many people who are eagerly waiting for due numbers to show in the official draw, day after day, only to show in the pre-tests and post-tests? And then finally give up after spending how many dollars?

I've seen a number out in the first position longer than 30 or 40 days in a ball drawing, or the second position. But you'll see it show in the third position because of the finagling. Not to mention the juggling of the ball tubes, meaning rotations. On top of that, they have at least 3 sets of machines they use in rotation.

So bottom line, once in a blue moon you have a computer glitch and it's the end of the world, yet most ball draws around the country totally screw up the flow of numbers by complex interference as mentioned above every single day, and this doesn't cause a major stir amongst players?

Who ever got into the system knew what they were doing. It sounds like the systems were never updated with the back door on it.

Tonight is way off. Its not even 9pm in AZ and the draw is out? Come on.

I said it last time, it would only be a matter of time before another lottery running computerized hardware would fail..  Again, it won't be long before another one happens. You would think these Lottery commisioners would wise up because the integrity of the Lottery is on the line.. People will not forget,  Arizona Go back to REAL drawings instead of FALSE drawings...!!!

I agree Mad cause this is crazy if this was going on here where else can it be happening? 

This is the 2nd time this happened?

Glitch....yeah sure

I notice they didn't bother to mention why operational computer code was modified to the extent that a serious error was introduced. As a professional programmer of many years, I learned early on that you test, test, and test again, and then retest again whenever you make even a minor code change. But this situation is almost beyond belief. What happened on or about June 10th that required a software update? And why did that update step on something as crucial as the number generation subroutine?

Especially with other people's money.
Come to think of it- where is Ronnie?  Could it be that he too was a victim of this so called"Glitch".
Trying to put the genie back in the bottle is foolishness at this point. This crap could be Nationwide and may well have been going on for years, whose to say otherwise?Accepting the word of these lottery officials that the problem is now " fixed" is too little too late.
Its time to send these computerized drawings into the Abyss.

Translated:  So sad too bad!!  Even though we screwed up, we are keeping your money and laughing all the way to the bank. 

Computerized drawings should be banned ... PERIOD!!

Pre-tests and post-tests with real ball machines are out in the open where you can see it.

When somebody goes into the computer, they can do whatever the hell they want to do and then tell you they did something completely different.

I'd rather have the church lady cranking the bingo basket give me the numbers than some friend of the governor political hack with a computer.

Any day of the week.

Just because they're in the open doesn't mean it's ok. Wrong doings can be done in the open under false presumptions.

If I do 20 pre-tests , does that make it ok because it was transparent? Where do you draw the line?

So basically you're saying that it's ok that they are screwing with the flow of numbers, as long as they show how they are screwing with it? lol

@ Ridge, also, the church lady isn't doing 3 pre-tests and post-tests. She's gathering the balls and placing them in the chamber. That's the way I'd rather see the drawings. No tampering with the excuse that the pre and post is done to ensure the machines are working properly. Machines will break down no matter what you do. In fact, the more pre tests and post test one conducts will surely guarantee a quicker breakdown exponentially due to the law of physics. The more wear and tear you impose on a machine will greatly improve the chance that that machine will break down. There's no such thing as perpetual motion as we know it so far. Unless someone can overcome friction, wear, and heat, machines will always fail in the end, especially when you advance their breakdown by encouraging them, via  pre-tests and post-tests.

I never said they should do any pre-tests. Where'd you get that? They only do pre-tests to throw people off. I don't think they should do any pretests whatsoever. But they don't listen to me because they have legions of people like you who they know will go along with the program no matter what they do. 

You're saying because you can't catch them in the open, we might as well trust them to do whatever the hell they say they're doing behind the curtain?

Yeah ok, that makes a lotta sense.

LOL, they love guys like you.

AZ recently switched this month to all draw games at 7pm, AZ time. It's on the website.

Also, AZ had a similar issue a few years ago! The #9 wasn't even in the system to be drawn, for months.

People are mistaken when they think that "Random" means that anything can happen.

Let me expand the statement!

As I have said many times, if anyone believes anything man made or involved with, can be random!!!!

                                                wrong!!                                                                           

The players that do not save their tickets will be irked they have no compensation for the lying, cheats mistakes.
AZ might want to set a few things 'right' with the players who are crying foul and fraud. Would it be in AZ's best
interest to 'make it up' to them? The computer drawing is a controlled drawing, by no means random. If they
are looking to bring back the integrity *cough* of the game (or show the folks the games are back to normal)
can't they do a few programming changes to make the 8 and 9 show up more often to satisfy some players
suspicions that everything isn't A-Okay with AZ Lottery? They can do it in a subtle way but if players see
their favorite numbers being drawn with 8's and 9's and are winning, do you think they'll suspect tampering or
just think, it's about time they 'fixed' it?
It should be interesting to watch and compare future results with the results shortly after the last glitch/difficulty/
sham/scam/rip-off occurred.


ARIZONA your best numbers to choose for awhile might be 8's and 9's in 2nd and 3rd position.
(maybe even triple 8's and 9's...you do, btw, have triple triggers on the 13th and 20th )

Thanks for posting that link! 

I don't normally do this, but I'm going to paste the article text here, because it is so old and I don't want it getting lost.

No. 9 error cuts 76,000 from prize in Pick 3

by Tucson Citizen, Jun. 12, 1998

If your lucky number is 9, you actually had zero chance of winning the Arizona Lottery's new "Pick 3" top prize over the past month.

Lottery officials yesterday revealed a programming error that omitted the number 9 from any combination of winning numbers.

Although the error was corrected Wednesday – and number 9 did come up as a winning number that night – the game was suspended this morning by Gov. Jane Hull.

"There can be no excuses," Hull said. "Mistakes like this are unacceptable. We are going to take some time and sort through this situation. I have many questions and few answers. Until I get those answers, the game will not go forward."

The error was in the randomization program supplied by Elsym Consulting of Atlanta. The company apologized for the error.

"This software should have never left our office in the condition provided," said company president Len Simonis . "We realize the seriousness of this error and the great burden it has placed on the Arizona Lottery to convince its players that its game is beyond reproach."

About 76,000 Pick 3 tickets with the number 9 were sold in the last month.

Sales were already under way yesterday, so the drawing had to be held, said Lottery director Geoffrey Gonsher .

Refunds will be given to players holding Pick 3 tickets with the number 9, although no details were immediately available.

Pick 3 was introduced May 3. The top prize for the game is $500.

Here's a comparison I find very interesting:

1998:

"We realize the seriousness of this error and the great burden it has placed on the Arizona Lottery to convince its players that its game is beyond reproach."

2013:

"The Arizona Lottery assures our players that the issue has been remedied, and the Pick 3 drawings will continue to move forward with the utmost integrity."

Why not just boycot the Pick 3 game (and other games that use random genererated numbers) until Arizona switches to ball drop machines.Problem solved!

I say look for flaws and go in for da kill...... eliminate 1 digit and you eliminate a lot of straight numbers.......

Thanks arizona. Now im looking to see if any other states using same software has same issues..... I cant believe no one from LP caught that mistake. Maybe someone did and didnt wanna share...

They are provided equipment by various vendors and contractors, given instructions on how to operate it. But they are not experts. They are not analyzing the results like many players are for statistical anomalies. Ball drawings are not immune either, but more straighforward than a computer draw with hidden code and settings.

I don't trust no human, when money is involved, period. Do the contractors in the states that have ball drops, maintain the equipment? Does the state have inspectors, watching these people? I don't have any idea. I have a 90 year old friend, from N.Y,who played the numbers there. Since 2005, that is when Fla changed contractors, they are rigged.

Rebecca ceo of the TN Lottery you need to read this. 

Unless players quit they won't change. It's easier to sit on a couch with a remote to control the machines, then standing up.

Yeah, other differences:

1998:

Gov. Jane Hull stepped in, refunds offered to players holding Pick 3 tickets with the number 9.

2013:

Gov. Jan Brewer? Replacement tickets offered, but only of the same number or QP, no refund, not even credit for a different game?

Perhaps you are winning because of a computer "glitch"

7 #'s ....better then 9.....

Should I be reluctant to buy my tickets for AZ  ?

5/41Drawing Days:Every Day Except SundayDrawing Time:7:00 PM Arizona Time (GMT-7:00)Draw Method:Computer Random Number GeneratorCurrent Jackpot:$494,000 for the drawing on Wednesday, August 21, 2013

If youre smart youd play key digit straight strategy usng digit 9.

I dont think Im smart, because I dont play pick 3.

I agree

These types of situations make lottery experts who say looking for patterns in lottery drawings is a waste of time look foolish.  Players who play the same combinations multiple times in the same drawings and win must know or suspect something and it would foolish of them to share with others who aren't willing to spend time looking for such flaws.

Finally, someone agrees with me. 

it would foolish of them to share with others who aren't willing to spend time looking for such flaws.

Which is why you shouldn't trust anybody who sell any lottery system. If they really have a system that works, why would they want to share it with you?

They're keeping the money where they want it in 2013..all players might not have won in the problem time
frame. How many do you think will win on the day their replacement drawing is conducted? How many qp's
are going to be from a losing pool? They stand to keep more money doing the way they're doing it.
To be sincere and make things right, they should give the players the 8's and 9's they played plus a quick pick on top of it.
Wouldn't that be a first? An organization that wants to redeem themselves AND show the people they are willing to make
things right in ways that do not just favor their own agenda. $$$$$$

 People that say the lottery is completely random and that past results have no bearing on future draws are just ignorant of the real world situation. All lottery drawings are a man made approximatoin of random, not true random like the ideal theoretical. It has been confirmed time and time again to fall short, either due to incompetence or intentional manipulation. While I myself am not a system believer, if people want to go and look for anomalies in lottery drawings, go for it.

I agree.  Sort of like the McDonalds monopily game scandal a few years ago. To gain peoples trust in the game again they decided tongive people free entries in the following edition of the game without having to purchase a meal

COMPUTERIZED DRAWING GLITCH STRIKES ARIZONA LOTTERY

This is why it's hard to play computerized games.  All of Oklahoma games(except Mega & Power) are CG.

I've written a few times on LP before that I don't like computers either. All I'm saying is that they shouldn't do pre tests with balls or computers, that's all.

Legions of people like me? Like If I protest, they'll listen to me?

Ok, lol

I agree onlymoney.  NC is the worst and have even more pre-tests but always manage to come up with an excessive amount of repeats and mimicks computer glitiches with numbers never being drawn with ball draws. We are talking about out of the blue don't play save your money stuff.   I thought I would never say it but I wish NC were computerized at least you will stand a better chance of hitting the numbers that are running.

I agree.

I agree, can't tell which is worse. lol

Just like an LP member wrote a few months ago, it's like starting your car five times a day just to make sure the starter is still working. lol

I guarantee you I'd win more often if they just left the dang machines alone.

All the flaws discovered aren't permanent but usually only last a couple of months so even when they are discovered a player only has a short time to take advantage of them.  Most players wouldn't want to constantly change their playing strategies as new flaws are discovered and corrected.