Broken Ping Pong Ball cost Pennsylvania $411,216

[sao123]

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/07123/783075-85.stm

Cracked lottery ball costs the state $411,216
Thursday, May 03, 2007

By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau



HARRISBURG -- A crack in a plastic pingpong ball has cost the state Department of Revenue a cool $411,216.

The cracked ball was used in the state's televised MATCH 6 game Tuesday at 6:59 p.m.

The six balls drawn -- 13-18-27-29-32-33 -- resulted in a payout of $366,805, said Stephanie Weyant, press secretary for the state revenue department, which oversees the Pennsylvania Lottery.

But then, an hour or so after the televised drawing, lottery officials conducting a routine check looked at the No. 36 ball "and found it was broken into pieces," she said.

They then looked at the videotape of the drawing -- all drawings are videotaped for security -- and determined that the No. 36 ball was cracked at the time the first drawing was held.

As a result, "the players who had selected the No. 36 ball didn't have an opportunity to win on the first drawing," said Ms. Weyant, who'd been deputy revenue press secretary for four years but just took over the top spot on the day of the snafu.

Lottery officials who were on the scene at Channel 21 studios in Harrisburg, where the drawings are held, immediately checked with top revenue department officials.

They decided, in an effort to be fair, to conduct a second, non-televised drawing, in which the winning numbers were 04-11-12-19-21-27. That payout was $411,216.

Despite the double payout, the lottery still took in more in MATCH 6 bets than it paid out. Customers bought $907,116 worth of tickets and the total payout was $778,021.

"We use high-quality plastic pingpong balls, but they're not indestructible. They can break," she said.

The lottery had a precedent for conducting the second drawing because of a defective ball, Ms. Weyant said. The same thing happened on March 24, 2002.

A lot of videotaping, up to three hours worth, goes on each afternoon related to the lottery drawings, she said. Before the televised drawing at 6:59 p.m. nightly, there are 12 "pre-drawings" held to make sure that all the balls weigh the same and are in good condition.

"They examine the balls for flaws and ensure that all drawings are done randomly, with every number given the same chance to come up," she said. That's how lottery officials knew there wasn't a problem with the No. 36 ball before the live drawing.

The pre-drawings also are done to avoid any repeats of the "weighting" scandal of the early 1980s. During the infamous "666" lottery fix, some balls were weighted -- that is, made slightly heavier than the other balls so they had less chance of being drawn than lighter balls.

Ms. Weyant said that after each night's live, "official" drawing is held, there are three more "post-drawings," again done to ensure that balls are being chosen randomly and the equipment is working properly. The same attendants -- lottery officials, a senior citizen observer and accountants -- are on hand for the post-drawings as for the live drawing.

During the first post-drawing on Tuesday evening, she said, "we found that the No. 36 ball had been broken when the live drawing took place. They reviewed all the tapes and found that the 36 ball was broken."

Asked how a pingpong ball gets broken into pieces, she said: "I assume it started as a crack."

Revenue department officials then decided "the right thing to do was conduct a second [non-televised] drawing and pay out on both drawings," she said.

 

[Farang]

Meh.. still profited.

 

[smack Down]

Wonder how many people won the second drawing but never knew it.

 

[tw1164]

They did the right thing.

 

[McGyver]

it's not ping pong, it's table tennis

 

[gwrober]

Originally posted by: tw1164
They did the right thing.

Yup. Good for them.

 

[jdini76]

Originally posted by: McGyver
it's not ping pong, it's table tennis

is Ping Pong a brand name?

 

[SirStev0]

ohhh well... not like $411,216 would have even put a dent into the hell whole which is PA roadways.

 

[Phokus]

They should use rubber balls then or something.

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: smack Down
Wonder how many people won the second drawing but never knew it.

I think they publish the second numbers.

 

[natto fire]

Originally posted by: smack Down
Wonder how many people won the second drawing but never knew it.

I wonder how many people did not read the article and then posted.

 

[ViRGE]

Why am I not surprised that the public observer is a senior citizen?

 

[Jeraden]

Since 36 still didn't come up in the 2nd drawing, wouldn't it still have been fair to just stick with the original list of numbers?

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Jeraden
Since 36 still didn't come up in the 2nd drawing, wouldn't it still have been fair to just stick with the original list of numbers?

A small extra payout is miniscule compared to 907,116 potential lawsuits and the loss of customers who think it is rigged. Now they can claim they did a double payout and get even more business. Take this as cheap advertising probably covered by all news sources in the area. "Not only are we fair, but we may double your odds!" The lottery may even be better off with this.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: sygyzy

Originally posted by: smack Down
Wonder how many people won the second drawing but never knew it.

I think they publish the second numbers.

Yes because people keep losing lottery tickets around after they knew they are loser just in case there happens to be a second drawing.

 

[herkulease]

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy

Originally posted by: smack Down
Wonder how many people won the second drawing but never knew it.

I wonder how many people did not read the article and then posted.

sure they might published it but how many people who watched the live drawing kept their ticket when they assumed they had lost.

I throw away lotto tickets when I lose I don't keep them. though I only play when its huge jackpots anyhow so that's when I check the results instantly.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
Why am I not surprised that the public observer is a senior citizen?

The lottery benefits "older Pennsylvanians." Or at least that's what they say when they do the drawings IIRC. Nevermind that most of the money the lottery brings in is from older Pennsylvanians. In NJ I think the lottery money goes to education - take from the old people and give it to the kids. Of course they could say the money is going wherever they want, and then just reduce the funding for that budget item in the general fund by the amount that the lottery takes in.

 

[SVT Cobra]

I remember seeing a couple of weeks ago a ping pong ball failed to stick into the machine (this was the PA lottery before jeopardy) and it was clearly a two before it went back down...they said they had difficulties and would review the tape and check the ball later on video to find out what it was for sure...then the numbers later said it was a 1...I was LOL because everybody saw it was a 2.