The lottery is known for real winners
Within the myths and legends of what people believe about the lottery is the notion that jackpots and big prizes are really not won by real people, but by lottery employees or actors so that the winning amounts can be put back into the coffers as extra profit. They feel that it is all just staged so that people will keep on buying tickets. An interesting concept, but one that has no basis in actual truth, and is just an urban legend.
Well Regulated Industry
The lottery is run so that players, who are the gaming public and real people, can win large amounts of money while the ticket sales generate the money that supports the prizes and is distributed to charities. It is the mandate of the gaming industry that real people win real prizes, and this is all overseen and regulated by the gaming commission. Every single prize that is won, from a free play to the jackpot, is paid out to the person holding a valid purchased ticket.
As the gaming industry is actually one of the most regulated industries on the planet, every cent for every win must be recorded in the books and is subject to audit by the gaming commission. Winners names and contact information are recorded as proof that the prize went to that person. The audit trail is so meticulously documented that even a forensic financial audit would not find anything showing a real lottery player did not win a prize.
This is the reason that winners’ pictures, name, and city or town of residence are publicized in the news and on the operator’s website. It is an up-front, transparent act to show to the public that yes, real people do win real prizes. There are even commercials run by the operator that may use the voice and/or image of an actual lottery winner to promote the honesty and excitement of the lottery.
Occasionally, someone who may work for an operator, but at a different gaming site, is a legit real player, but is classified as an “insider.” Even a relative of an operator employee would be classified as an “insider.” The Insider wins verification process can be much longer than usual. More scrutiny is put on the winner and/or the relative who is the insider. It could take months for the investigation to be completed. This is added security to ensure that even an insider win is legitimate and free of tampering or fraud.
The operator, by being fully transparent to the public, and ensuring insider wins are legitimate, proves to the gaming public that real people are the ones who win the lottery prizes. The draws are not staged, the people who win are not actors, and thee publication of lottery wins is not fake money that doesn’t exist.
So yes, real people like you do win the lottery. Every single penny of every single prize that is offered and won goes to players like you. So keep it real and buy your tickets and see if you won. Since real people do win the lottery, you just might find yourself achieving real honest lottery dreams.