Canada lotteries changing biggest games to computerized drawings

Apr 24, 2019, 6:19 pm (14 comments)

Canada

Random number generators will be used for Lotto Max and Lotto 649 after May 14

Starting mid-May, players of Canada's two largest multi-province lottery games will no longer be able to rely on real lottery ball drawings to choose the winning numbers.

Instead, the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation will retire the lottery balls that generate the winning numbers for Lotto Max and Lotto 649 on May 14, moving to a computer program called a random number generator.

"They're part of our history but, you know, all good things come to an end and times change and this is all part of that process," Greg Weston, a spokesperson for Atlantic Lottery, told CBC's Mainstreet on Tuesday.

Weston said most of the lotteries across Canada have moved to random number generators.

Atlantic Lottery has been using this technology for its regional games since 2017.

Weston said the main advantage of this technology is it offers a greater paper trail for checking and verifying results. [Editor: I wasn't aware there were actually any advantages to computerized drawings. This sounds made-up.]

"We actually have two sets of auditors: one who is on-site and they can examine the results to make sure that everything went according to plan," he said.

"And then we have another set of auditors in a completely different location who also checks the results to make sure that the results match and so that way there's just lots of checks and balances."

Weston said the switch is about modernizing and streamlining the draw process.

"We want to make sure that it remains as random and secure as ever," Weston said. [Editor: Which is why you should stick with real lottery drawings.]

Until the balls are retired, Atlantic Lottery is still posting them in action on its YouTube page.

"We all remember watching [the balls] when we were younger, they've been around for many, many years," Weston said. "But technology evolves and the lottery is no different."

Lotto Max adding second weekly drawing

In addition to the drawings being compromised through the use of computers, the maximum jackpot for the Lotto Max game is going up and gamblers will be able to play twice as often starting next month.

Beginning May 11, Canadian lottery players will be able to purchase tickets for the regular Friday draws as well as a new weekly draw on Tuesdays.

Additionally, the maximum jackpot will increase from $60 million to $70 million.

Before Lotto Max players get too excited, however, the odds of winning will actually decrease under the new system.

That's because the lottery will be adding an extra available number — 50 — for players to choose when they select their seven numbers.

Come May, gamblers will be able to choose numbers between 1 and 50 instead of the previous available options of 1 and 49.

With the additional number, the odds of winning the jackpot jumps from 1 in 28 million to 1 in 33 million.

Players can be consoled by the fact that the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, which is jointly run by five provincial lottery commissions, will add two new lower-tier bonus prizes and Maxmillion prizes will continue to be added when the jackpot reaches $50 million.

The $5 cost per play will remain the same.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

grwurston's avatargrwurston

They are making a BIG mistake. RNG's are not better.  This guy Weston is full of  BS

Obviously they never asked knowledgeable players what they prefer. When will lottery officials ever learn?

CDanaT's avatarCDanaT

RNG Games  Canada ??....... Green laugh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOeig6_aAtE

music*'s avatarmusic*

"If it is not broken why fix it?"

 $5.00 per play? I will now stop complaining about our $2.00 per play. LOL!

 Eddie Tipton should be asked about this RNG. I am curious as to what he would say. Millions of Canadian dollars is tempting. In the future there could be failed attempts to rig the system. Will we know or hear about these attempts.

 Ask the North Koreans how secure our computers are.

noise-gate

l would agree with this statement from Mr Weston

" all good things come to an end and times change and this is all part of that process," 

Only If l had won a major jackpot, had chosen the annuity deal, and received my last check with these words " All good things come to an end." Other than that, no, sorry Greg.

Weston also said.. 

"We actually have two sets of auditors: one who is on-site and they can examine the results to make sure that everything went according to plan," 

Well, Greg, to the best of our knowledge, the behind the scenes of the mechanical ball drops are thoroughly checked, rechecked, additional simulated drop exercises are carried out to make certain that " everything went according to plan." 

  • l honestly wonder if this idea was sanctioned by the lottery players in Canada? 
TheMeatman2005's avatarTheMeatman2005

When it comes to the lottery, most people prefer to see the numbered balls drop into place.

New is not always better.

Adding one more number....are they still going to call it 6/49? There was no mention in the article about changing the name.

I wonder if people who play now will stop playing when it goes to RNG. (Rigged Number Generator)

noise-gate

Quote: Originally posted by TheMeatman2005 on Apr 25, 2019

When it comes to the lottery, most people prefer to see the numbered balls drop into place.

New is not always better.

Adding one more number....are they still going to call it 6/49? There was no mention in the article about changing the name.

I wonder if people who play now will stop playing when it goes to RNG. (Rigged Number Generator)

Let's hope Weston does have one of these moments should their RNG run into major problems Tmm.

Related image

LottoBux's avatarLottoBux

Quote: Originally posted by TheMeatman2005 on Apr 25, 2019

When it comes to the lottery, most people prefer to see the numbered balls drop into place.

New is not always better.

Adding one more number....are they still going to call it 6/49? There was no mention in the article about changing the name.

I wonder if people who play now will stop playing when it goes to RNG. (Rigged Number Generator)

The Extra Ball Added Is For The Lotto Max Drawing.

It Used To Be 7/49.

Now It's A 7/50 Drawing.

https://www.lotterypost.com/news/326327/5889435

The 6/49 Draw Remains The Same.

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by TheMeatman2005 on Apr 25, 2019

When it comes to the lottery, most people prefer to see the numbered balls drop into place.

New is not always better.

Adding one more number....are they still going to call it 6/49? There was no mention in the article about changing the name.

I wonder if people who play now will stop playing when it goes to RNG. (Rigged Number Generator)

As LottoBux said, they are changing the Lotto Max game, not Lotto 649.  They are two separate games, in the same way that Mega Millions and Powerball are two separate games.  Both are changing to computerized drawings, but only the Lotto Max game is changing its number matrix.

This move to computerized drawings for the two games is a real nail in the heart of all the Canadian lotteries.  It's as if suddenly BOTH Powerball and Mega Millions changed over to computerized drawings.  For Canadians, this means that in many parts of the country there will be no games available with real drawings. 

Government loves to control everything.  I hate to become dramatic about it, but now they have the ability to hide all the drawings from the public (since it is literally impossible to witness a computerized drawing), and it is now possible for a sophisticated IT person to rig the major Canadian lottery games.

Of course, since the mainstream media looks down upon lotteries in general as being "stupid", they will naturally under-report this issue and mock anyone who is outraged by this.  So there is basically nobody I know of, other than Lottery Post, that is highlighting this issue and pointing out the tremendous danger of it.  Just like with Eddie Tipton.

Edit: Actually, to give proper credit where credit is due, the one person in the media who has been drawing attention to this issue has been Jason Clayworth at the Des Moines Register.  However, since the Register is a US-based paper, it is unlikely the Canadian lotteries will be covered.  The Canadian press is largely deferential to the government, so I don't expect them to step up.

LottoBux's avatarLottoBux

Quote: Originally posted by music* on Apr 24, 2019

"If it is not broken why fix it?"

 $5.00 per play? I will now stop complaining about our $2.00 per play. LOL!

 Eddie Tipton should be asked about this RNG. I am curious as to what he would say. Millions of Canadian dollars is tempting. In the future there could be failed attempts to rig the system. Will we know or hear about these attempts.

 Ask the North Koreans how secure our computers are.

The $5.00 Per Play Is For Lotto Max.

3 Lines Or Plays For $5.00.

Two Of Which Are Computer Generated.

If You Choose Your Own Numbers You Can Only Play One Set For Every $5.

You Are Given 2 Computer Generated Picks Along With Your 7 Chosen Numbers.

LOTTO 6/49

Each play costs $3 and includes one set of numbers from 1 to 49 for the Main Jackpot Draw and a second,

10-digit set of numbers for the $1-million GUARANTEED PRIZE DRAW.

JADELottery's avatarJADELottery

Oh, you're gonna love this.

When it happens, you need to capitalize on the flaws.

Make as much munee from it as you can.

Good Luck.

cottoneyedjoe's avatarcottoneyedjoe

Reading between the lines, and knowing what I know of a bureaucrat's thought process, I think what happened here is their ball machinery and/or balls were due to be replaced or repaired and they realized it would be much much cheaper to replace them with computers. They don't even have to be state-of-the-art computers for the lottery's purposes. As long as they are isolated from the network and internet and programmed with a PRNG that meets minimal standards, they are good to go. I'm sure many here could make some in their garages.

I don't buy the excuse that computerized drawings are easier to audit. All lotteries videotape their drawings, computer and ball machine alike. If anything, since the source code of the PRNG program is something of a blackbox except to vendor employees authorized to access it, computerized drawings are harder to audit. The lottery employee typing on the keyboard or clicking the mouse doesn't know if the code is flawed and results in a slightly biased output. The only auditing you can do of a PRNG is statistical analysis of its output over time. Whereas with a ball machine it's more obvious when it malfunctions.

But what can you do?

Think's avatarThink

So much for planning a junket to Canada.  Those were their two best games.

rca1952

And so, it's the beginning of the end!

ckrakowski

Hacked drawings in 3..2...1...

End of comments
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