Investigators find Tipton's software code to rig computerized lottery drawings

Comment #34

RJOh — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 15:07:50 GMT

Long before the Dawson suit, MUSL had rules for returning unclaimed funds to the states which any player could have read. Dawson is dreaming a jury will rewrite those rules rather than interpret them which means he doesn't have a case. I would be surprised if his suit ever go to trial.

Comment #33

KY Floyd — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 03:28:45 GMT

I'm pretty sure you didn't understand what I wrote. Your post that I was responding to contains reasoning that makes no sense, and I offered an example that I thought might clue you in.

You also don't seem to understand what happened, because the jackpot didn't go unclaimed. That money is a prize that was never won. It doesn't matter whether it took them a week, a month or a decade to find out about the problem. The only thing that matters is that there was a problem. That doesn't guarantee t... [ More ]

Comment #32

RJOh — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 16:13:47 GMT

If he bought a ticket based on an incorrect lottery ad that listed the prize as $9 million when it was really $19 million would you think he's only entitled to $9 million because he was willing to buy the ticket, or do you think he'd be entitled to the correct prize amount? What happened here is no different. What Dawson deserves has nothing to do with the amount that was advertised. He deserves the correct prize amount.

They didn't advertise the wrong amount. They only found out about the c... [ More ]

Comment #31

DELotteryPlyr — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 00:27:36 GMT

You I would have fun being on the same jury

Comment #30

KY Floyd — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 20:23:36 GMT

He played to win the estimated jackpot posted for the drawing he won.

If he bought a ticket based on an incorrect lottery ad that listed the prize as $9 million when it was really $19 million would you think he's only entitled to $9 million because he was willing to buy the ticket, or do you think he'd be entitled to the correct prize amount? What happened here is no different. What Dawson deserves has nothing to do with the amount that was advertised. He deserves the correct prize amount.... [ More ]

Comment #29

RJOh — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 15:41:30 GMT

Why should he get any more than he won? He played to win the estimated jackpot posted for the drawing he won. If he didn't like the jackpot amount he shouldn't had brought any tickets.

Now had he won less than the estimated jackpot because of Tipton's cheating,then he might have a case.

Comment #28

DELotteryPlyr — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 09:43:01 GMT

So what happens to Larry Dawson's lawsuit?

If I was on a jury for this (which I am not sure it is a jury trial?) I would award him 1/2 of the amount as this is PROOF that it was rigged but again it is unknown if someone else would have hit.

Comment #27

LottoMetro — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 22:25:58 GMT

I have a feeling the RNG software was only thoroughly checked prior to installation or upon any updates. After that auditors would have relied on statistical reporting to check if the lottery results were random. It would not be difficult to mask 2 determinate combinations as random in the larger population of drawings, especially if he used an algorithm. The conditions would have probably included recently past drawn numbers, so as not to trigger significance tests.

Comment #26

RJOh — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 17:40:27 GMT

You can watch the live drawings or check LP report card.

Comment #25

RJOh — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 17:37:43 GMT

All six prizes linked to Tipton were drawn on either Nov. 23 or Dec. 29 between 2005 and 2011.

Investigators were able to recreate the draws and produce the very same 'winning numbers' from the program that was supposed to produce random numbers, Smith wrote

Once in a while I've noticed some winning combinations have the dates included like 04 08 16 and wonder if some RNGs have code planted in them to do that. If they did and it only happened intentionally two or three times a year it mig... [ More ]

Comment #24

txwinr — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 17:25:32 GMT

So how do we know what games are using actual ball draws vs computer

Comment #23

GYM RICE — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 04:21:20 GMT

It's a kick in the lottery balls for everyone who plays not only that lottery but any lotto on the planet. One has to wonder how many cover ups go on for the good of people in other lotto's

Comment #22

VenomV12 — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 03:58:16 GMT

As long as something is done by computer it can be hacked or manipulated and when it comes to money and large sums of it, it almost certainly will be.

Comment #21

grwurston — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 02:32:24 GMT

So, are they going to destroy the code, or is someone else going to tweak it and make it better for their own gain?

On the other hand, if it could be used to to make sure certain numbers DO show up, why couldn't it be used to make sure certain numbers DO NOT show up?

RNG states are probably doing a happy dance right now.

Comment #20

ArizonaDream — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 02:26:09 GMT

This code was in play for 6 years, 2005 to 2011!? And those supposedly auditing the system didn't catch it? Mindblowing incompetence

Comment #19

noise-gate — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 02:00:08 GMT

Tipton knew that it was game over when he read Investigators were able to re create the draws and produce the very same numbers from the program

...The Smoking gun moment.

Comment #18

Teddi — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 00:25:40 GMT

Someone can claim he wasn't the only one. Someone can even claim some of the evidence is circumstantial. No one should be still saying that there's reasonable doubt. Because there isn't. You can have doubts but that doesn't make them reasonable. If you look at the odds of winning any of these prizes, how many of his relatives and friends claimed those winnings, which were all won only on certain days, at some point logic has to kick in and say, okay, it is unreasonable to assume he's innocent.... [ More ]

Comment #17

wizeguy — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 23:19:20 GMT

The text in paragraph four of yesterday's article still needs updating if the ages were reversed. Younger should read older brother Eddie.

Comment #16

Todd — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 22:56:02 GMT

Wow, great eye! I have fixed yesterday's article. The ages were reversed.

Comment #15

wizeguy — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 22:35:58 GMT

This article said Tommy was Eddie's younger brother. Yesterday's article said Tommy was the older brother.

Comment #14

KY Floyd — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 22:25:37 GMT

He can't be tried again on the same charge, but he can be tried for anything he wasn't already tried for. Prosecutors frequently manage to try people again by coming up with a different set of charges for the same crime. In this case they may have a lot of new crimes to choose from.

Comment #13

KY Floyd — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 22:22:52 GMT

I would have thought those extra lines of code would have showed up when outside sources did their security checks

Of course it would show up. That's what makes this so bizarre, and such an indictment of the security procedures that failed to discover the tampering.

drawn on either Nov. 23 or Dec. 29 between 2005 and 2011.

That's 6 years and a month, as an absolute minimum. Does that mean it went undetected for 6 full years, or was he able to reinstall it over and over? Either way, i... [ More ]

Comment #12

music* — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 22:13:28 GMT

Eddie's case is on appeal by a higher court. I do not know if he can be retried on the same charge.

Comment #11

Raven62 — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 21:00:47 GMT

Ball Drawn Games can be Rigged Too

Comment #10

psykomo — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 20:45:38 GMT

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Comment #9

RJOh — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 19:05:21 GMT

All six prizes linked to Tipton were drawn on either Nov. 23 or Dec. 29 between 2005 and 2011.

Investigators were able to recreate the draws and produce the very same 'winning numbers' from the program that was supposed to produce random numbers, Smith wrote

Sounds like he never removed the subroutine that allowed him to win if the drawings results could be predicted on those two dates for six years. I would have thought those extra lines of code would have showed up when outside sources... [ More ]

Comment #8

cbr$ — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 18:18:56 GMT

Eddie Tipton's case is still circumstantial. What can show is the the one and only

random generation used in his case. Only he had access to this generator

Software. No, one else ever had access to this generator software.

As far as Forensic evidence . How many other peoples DNA, finger prints was on the

generator software? Have they all been account for. When did they have access to

these thing? There is still room for reasonable doubt. Just my opinion.

Comment #7

lejardin — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 17:40:50 GMT

This story has finally hit the national news, was on CBS morning show.

Greed seemed to have overtaken Tipton, couldnt just leave it alone for a one time win. Now its widespread and involved many more people. How many of these scenes are being played right now we dont even know about? Yet?

The brother, a Judge, another crook, yikes.

Comment #6

TnTicketlosers — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:47:05 GMT

He's not the only one doing it,he just got caught...Check the rest of the states...I bet 3/4 of the ones is scammers with him.If people would stop playing the lottery,there might be a change.I did in Tennessee,it's hard yes it is but worth it when you can say to yourself,thats one more dollar she's not getting and laugh out loud.lol

Comment #5

LiveInGreenBay — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:07:56 GMT

Just as in any other crime, for every criminal they catch many more get away with it.

Comment #4

RJOh — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:27:47 GMT

I doubt if MM and PB had used a RNG either of them would have been added by as many states as they have.

Comment #3

rcbbuckeye — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 13:03:52 GMT

I'll play MM and PB because they are ball drawn, but the minute they go to RNG and I'm done.

I actually never could figure out why Hot Lotto is RNG, and PB and MM are ball drawn.

Comment #2

Cruzincat — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 12:51:26 GMT

Now, if they would just start using balls, instead of the rng, I might start buying Hot lotto Tix again.

Comment #1

rcbbuckeye — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 12:44:36 GMT

Another nail in the coffin.

Investigators find Tipton's software code to rig computerized lottery drawings

Lottery Post — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 12:32:03 GMT

Last remaining defense shattered as investigators find and decipher jackpot rigging code

A lottery vendor for years manipulated drawings to enrich himself and associates by installing software code that allowed him to predict winning numbers on specific days of the year, Iowa investigators alleged Wednesday.

Authorities called the newly obtained forensic evidence a breakthrough in the investigation of alleged jackpot-fixing scheme by Eddie Tipton, former security director of the Multi-Stat... [ More ]