Thursday, January 26, 2012
Arkansas Lottery Not to worry, lottery office says
Posted by Leslie Newell Peacock on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 4:21 PM
You may have read in the daily paper this morning that the lottery ticket being fought over in Circuit Court in Searcy was cast away because a scanner read the $1 million winner as a loser.
Now comes the Arkansas Lottery's interim director to say the scanners "are performing like clockwork." According to Julie Baldridge, "The ticket in question was scanned at the original retailer and at several other scanners in various locations, and each time it scanned properly." I called Baldridge to see why the testimony at trial was at odds with the lottery's findings, but wasn't able to reach her.
The case, being heard by Circuit Judge Thomas Hughes, hasn't wrapped up. Lawyers did not complete arguing their case today, and it will be continued to another time, the court clerk said.
Baldridge's letter is on the jump.
LOTTERY TICKET SCANNERS PERFORM LIKE CLOCKWORK
Little Rock (January 26, 2012) — Lottery ticket scanners are the little electronic machines sitting on the counter at more than 1,800 Arkansas Lottery Commission retailers all over the state. They “read” the bar codes on each ticket and their screens flash a message to you that says, “WINNER! FILE CLAIM FORM” or “SORRY NOT A WINNER” or other messages.
The Arkansas Lottery Commission is happy to confirm that these machines have been doing their job with no issues since the first tickets were sold on September 29, 2009.
It was reported today by various media that a Lottery scanner in Beebe had not functioned properly for a $1 Million winning ticket, according to one witness in a Searcy civil trial. In response to that testimony, the Lottery wants to assure our players and all Arkansans that in that case—and in quality-assurance testing conducted regularly and thoroughly—our ticket scanners have passed the test.
Here are the facts on the Beebe ticket:
Players at that Beebe retailer scanned tickets numerous times on the day the $1 Million ticket was sold, and each time the scanner worked perfectly;
The ticket in question was scanned at the original retailer and at several other scanners in various locations, and each time it scanned properly.
In short, the Arkansas Lottery’s ticket scanners are performing like clockwork.
For more information: Julie Baldridge, julie.baldridge@arkansas.gov, 501.683.1877
Julie Baldridge
Interim Director
Director, Public Affairs and Legislative Relations
Staff Liaison for the Arkansas Lottery Commission
P.O. Box 3238
Little Rock, AR 72203-3238
501-683-1877
Comments (2)
Showing 1-2 of 2
It's concievable that the original owner of the ticket failed to scan the ticket properly. It seems a little odd that you would pay $20 for a lottery ticket and not bother to scan it properly but stranger things have happened. Given the low odds of winning and being conditioned to expect a loser, it's possible.
I wonder if the customer scanned the tickets herself or relied on the clerk to do so?
Will be interesting to see to whom the judge awards the money - if anyone.
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If every scan of the ticket was corrrect it appears the store manager tried to scam the ticket buyer.
Why was she saving "losing" tickets in a box except to take advantage of incorrectly scanned tickets?
Dealing off the bottom of the deck type con game.
1 possible scenario - customer buys multiple tickets (make up a number of 5 tickets), manager scans 1st ticket and it is a dud.
Then like a 3 card monte or dealing off botom of deck manager rescans the same loser 4 more times.
Then manager encourages "loser" to put tickets in box for disposal.
"Just to be helpful"! With plan to rescan other 4 and collect.
But the scam fell through when the other woman (probably aware of the trick) nabs the tickets and goes somewhere else to scan.
Why would the manager be collecting the losing tickets and why are they her's?
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