Investigation: Illinois Lottery didn't award 40% of scratch-off grand prizes

Comment #30

JoeBigLotto — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 05:21:06 GMT

Since you notice repeat why don't you take advantage and play repeats too you will win more now. Haven't you heard a saying that you can't be taller than me and shorter than me.

Comment #29

twinssweetpea — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 19:54:10 GMT

I think Michigan should be Looked Into Too Because They are only pulling repeats And And Not Giving All The Numbers A Chance To Come Out.

Comment #28

cbr$ — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:28:15 GMT

I really don't see this as being great for the player from a players point of

view. IGT see the finding to be irrelevant or misleading.From this player's

point of view it is irrelevant to IGT because they have gotten away with it .

IGT. mislead the players. In one of the game they don't award the top

three prizes. IGT said, that players odds of winning were never affected

even if a grand prize was never awarded. Wrong ! People buy scratch offs

for the top 3 prize on... [ More ]

Comment #27

Bleudog101 — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 13:55:31 GMT

On a side note, KY's pick 3 last night was 777. Paid out over $1.6 million. Imagine if that had been Illinois, they may have invalidated the draw.

Comment #26

lmclaurin — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 03:50:47 GMT

Congratulations Fast Eddie! They did not credit you, but they used your post in their story! LOL

Comment #25

Coin Toss — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 08:01:17 GMT

The only shenanigans I ever remember the bookmakers pulling was if the middle digit of a Pick 3 was 1 it paid $450 instead of $500.

Better to play with a bookie who pays than a states that doesn't.

Comment #24

LottoAce — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 17:48:37 GMT

yeah, no kidding.

Comment #23

Romancandle — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 16:34:15 GMT

Thank you Chicago Tribune for investigating this.

I always suspected something wasn't quite right but since there's very little transparency with the IL lottery you just never know.

Comment #22

uprrman — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 16:13:59 GMT

that's why the govenors end up in jail why not the commisioners

Comment #21

Skibunnylk — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 14:58:13 GMT

You should start getting your tickets in neighboring states, at the very least you will get paid when you win and they are probably a lot more legitimate that corrupt Illinois.

Comment #20

Skibunnylk — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 14:55:37 GMT

Sounds like classic desperation. I wonder how many other states participate in these kinds of antics

Comment #19

American Indian — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 12:32:57 GMT

Thank You I AGREE ON ALL COUNTS, Thought I was going to have to take a Nap while reading all that..........

Fast Eddie from Chicago, think ya need to change your name??? LOL Just a thought

Comment #18

mypiemaster — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 12:31:48 GMT

The closing date for all scratch-off tickets should be the day the last ticket is sold not before. Since it appears that everyone is not complaining, this sort of theft will keep on going until more and more people get involved. Playing players for SUCKERS

Comment #17

Bleudog101 — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 11:43:15 GMT

That's the longest article I've ever read on LP...Great job Todd.

In KY you can go on their website and see how many grand prizes are left. They do not, best of my knowledge cancel the game like I read on Virginia's website does.

I too wouldn't bother to play in that state of crookedness. People are not stupid as some states/feds think they are and it always catches up with the bad guys. In this information age nothing is slipping by like in the 'good ole days'.... [ More ]

Comment #16

canyon — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 05:55:36 GMT

This should be a wake up call to all lottery players everywhere!!! I wish all states were investigated

Comment #15

fast eddie — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 04:26:23 GMT

Now i know why i didn't win the big prize.

Comment #14

ckrakowski — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 03:34:38 GMT

As pressure was building to change the structure of the deals, Northstar began the final four of the 17 games studied. The last three awarded every grand prize, and since then games have generally printed fewer tickets and are on track to award a greater share of grand prizes.

So the only reason they awarded every grand prize was because they knew they were being replaced.

So they don't award all the grand prizes, print more tickets then they will need and even shut the game... [ More ]

Comment #13

Vickey — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 01:50:59 GMT

Always cheats when we saw the balls coming out the hole they will put up other numbers and we know didn't come so you wouldn't get paid

Comment #12

Soledad — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 01:32:05 GMT

Check any state with any scratch off game. There are always grand prize jackpot tickets left unsold or unclaimed. Always. Not sometimes. Always.

Comment #11

gatorsrok — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 23:30:34 GMT

I don't know how they arrived at the 100% payout on $1M+ prizes in Florida since there are games that have ended with unclaimed top prizes of $1M or more. Not nearly as bad as Illinois, but not 100% either.

Comment #10

Illinoisdreamer — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 22:23:33 GMT

People had noticed this thru years with Northstar but Tribune is first one to go indepth

The Good Life game was a crock and did infact vanish with very little actual winners

Honestly how do we even know winning tickets were ever created to begin with?

Either way another blow to image of Illinois lottery which has done nothing but decline in eyes of Illinois residents over last 6-8 years

Comment #9

noise-gate — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 21:17:31 GMT

It's called Theft! Without players, any lottery would belly up.In this case it's nothing less than biting the hand that feeds you.

Comment #8

Redd55 — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 21:15:09 GMT

This is what I think when I think of Illinois:

City Of Chicago Working Around Clock To Clear 18 Inches Of Bullet Casings From Streets

http://www.theonion.com/article/city-chicago-working-around-clock-clear-18-inches--54833

Comment #7

djpowerball1234 — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 20:49:34 GMT

Knowledge IS POWER....too bad IGNORANCE IS THE NORM

Comment #6

MaximumMillions — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 20:23:43 GMT

Illinois is the Patel of states it seems.

Comment #5

mypiemaster — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 20:20:04 GMT

Surprise!!! Not Really.

Comment #4

destinycreation — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 20:19:49 GMT

Illinois appears to be a Criminal State Lacking in Integrity Dishonest Behavior all the time.

Comment #3

Drenick1 — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 20:02:39 GMT

That is absolutely horrible. I can't believe people are still supporting the Illinois lottery after the IOU payment debacle. If I lived there, I wouldn't sink another penny into any lottery game, even the MUSL.

Comment #2

lejardin — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 19:34:50 GMT

Illinois AGAIN? This is a troubling story. If I lived there I would not be buying any lottery tickets. Shameful.

Comment #1

luckyshoes — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 19:17:51 GMT

Bait and Switch.

Investigation: Illinois Lottery didn't award 40% of scratch-off grand prizes

Lottery Post — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 18:50:54 GMT

It was called The Good Life and offered the biggest grand prize of any instant game the Illinois Lottery had ever produced.

Two lucky winners could scratch their way to $46 million each, paid in periodic installments. At $30, tickets weren't cheap, but millions were sold. Then the game ended before the lottery sold most of the tickets that were printed, with neither top prize awarded.

The same thing happened with another instant game, called Birthday Surprise. Two large grand prizes offere... [ More ]