how much regulation is there within the gaming industry?
We’ve all heard the stories about how the lottery is rigged, how they already chose a ticket to be the winning one, how they manipulate the balls or computer to produce the numbers they want, and many other types of lottery myths such as Operators run the lottery draws as they want and there is no one to stop them from cheating. From that, you would think that the lottery industry is an open do what you want type. But the truth is just the opposite.
The lottery is highly regulated
Not only is the lottery industry highly regulated but in some jurisdictions, the regulation of lottery draws is second only the regulation of producing nuclear energy. Without safeguards and a set of obligatory rules and regulations to follow, nuclear energy producers can do what they want regardless of the fallout or after-effects of an accident or total meltdown. The same pertains to the lottery. Without its own set of rules and regulations and answers to all the questions, Operators could cheat the public or decide on a whim who is going to win the next draw.
To ensure the public that lottery draws are run and overseen to produce legitimate random events and random winners, regulators lay down the law to operators in not only how the lottery has to be run, but also even to how it can be advertised. To do this, regulators set down sets of regulations that operators must follow flawlessly.
Only specific suppliers can be used who provide the paper the tickets are printed on. The retailer lottery terminals are from a specific supplier and are programmed and set up by the Operator’s staff as per the Regulator’s instructions. The balls and blowers are kept under lock and key and video/audio surveillance by the Operator and are only accessible to authorized personnel when being retrieved for that draw. The blower and balls are randomly selected from several sets. The setup of the equipment and the actual draw itself are under constant audit by a member of an independent accounting firm, who runs through a large checklist and physically records all aspects of the equipment selection and set up, the actual draw itself. The same is done for those draws that are conducted using a Random Number Generator.
It all keeps us safe
Every draw that uses a ball and blower system is video and audio recorded to preserve the draw event and then posted on the Operator’s website for the public to view. The video is also archived so it can be retrieved if any issue arises about that draw. After the draw, the auditor watches and records the dismantling of the equipment and the storage back under lock, key, and camera. Any deviation from the rules and regulations will immediately cause the draw to be void and an investigation will commence.
Players who claim winning tickets go through an interview to prove the winning ticket is legitimate and the ticket actually was bought and belongs to the person claiming the prize. To ensure that the public understands that real people win real prizes, a picture of the winner, their first name, and their hometown, are released to the media.
All of these rules and regulations have one combined purpose. To show the public that the lottery draws are totally random, honest, and of the highest integrity and that real players actually win real prizes. This is done through highly intense and scrutinized observation of each and every lottery draw that is conducted. So just like the nuclear energy industry, the lottery industry is highly regulated to ensure public safety and honesty in winning every prize available.