Some people may find this hard to believe, but the gaming industry - from slot machines and table games, to bingo and lottery tickets and draws - is extremely honest and of the highest integrity. It is not only a regulatory requirement, but a huge incentive as well.
Strict Regulations
All gambling has the odds beneficial to the operator, so any gambling conducted dishonestly is a useless and unnecessary endeavour.
Gaming is a worldwide regulated and standardized industry, and in some jurisdictions, gaming industry regulation is second only to nuclear energy regulation. You can't open and operate a nuclear generating station without the government and international agencies certifying that your nuclear plant is safe and meets standards, and you can't be a gambling operator unless it is certified that your operation is honest and meets standards.
With that being said, just how honest and how much integrity is there in lottery draws?
Who and What Is Involved?
First of all, the entire lottery draw process is overseen by members of the lottery agency conducting the draw, sometimes by enforcement agents from the jurisdiction's gaming commission, and by an external auditor, usually an employee of an accounting firm, who witness and record the preparation, draw, and ending of the draw. In most cases, it is recorded, too, so there is also a visual and audio record of the draw.
There are two methods that are primarily used to conduct draws. The first is the use of ball machines.
All balls used in lottery ball machines are supplied by certified and regulated lottery suppliers. This means that all balls used in the draw must measure the same and weigh the same to within very rigid specifications.
The balls are made of rubber and are manufactured to exact tolerances. They are also periodically checked to ensure that they stay within the regulated specifications.
Two different types of ball machines are used. The first and most commonly used are gravity pick machines that have a drum with spinning arms that rotate in opposite directions.
The balls drop into the spinning drum from transparent tubes above the machine, the balls are mixed and then fall out of the bottom of the drum through a transparent tube and into a tray, so that viewers can see the balls at all times. An optical sensor counts the number of balls that have dropped and then stops the machine.
The other type of ball machine is an air-mix machine that blows ping-pong balls around by a fan in the bottom of the machine. The balls then shoot up and out through a tube and into a tray.
The second way to pick numbers is through the use of a computerized random number generator. The RNG generates the numbers one at a time and the results are recorded. Just like their physical counterparts, RNG machines are kept under intense surveillance and scrutiny.
The RNG software contains alarm parameters that signal an alert if any modification to the software or other components is detected, and are also subject to regular inspections to ensure the randomness of the outcomes.
Under Scrutiny
Both types of machines undergo the same scrutiny and regulatory requirements as the balls. Intense surveillance and scrutiny is signified by some jurisdictions, keeping both types of machines in a locked room or area that can only be accessed by certain authorized individuals.
Twenty-four-hour video and audio surveillance records everything that goes on in the room or area. There may even be a guard assigned to monitor access.
The machines are inspected and reviewed regularly by representatives from the gaming commissions, who test the machines and balls and certify them to be allowed for the draws, or set requirements to have any issues detected, immediately rectified and submitted for re-inspection.
Just like with slot machines, some jurisdictions require log books to be placed near or in the machines and all access and work performed on the machines must be logged, dated, and signed.
Some jurisdictions also require that there be two to three ball machines and two to three RNG machines always available, not only for backup, but to ensure even more randomness of the draws.
Regulations may require that the external auditor must choose the machine for that night's draws. This means that lottery operators have no way of knowing which machine will be used for which draw.
All lottery draws, equipment, and personnel are subject to intense auditing by gaming commission managers, lab technicians, electronic technicians, gaming and lottery inspectors, and others.
As such, the gaming industry is a standardized and regulated industry that is subject to intense scrutiny by many agencies and organizations to ensure honesty and integrity in all gaming activities, including lottery draws.
So, how honest are lottery draws? Very!