Lottery uses strict security

by Commissioner Gary Peters

Many of you may be aware of a recent incident involving the Indiana Hoosier Lottery in which a lottery security officer revealed the location of a winning ticket to private individuals.

In the aftermath, we’ve received several inquiries as to whether this could occur in Michigan. Let me assure you: our system is extremely secure and very tightly controlled. This kind of fraud cannot happen in Michigan.

In this particular instance, the security officer was able to obtain from the company that provides the tickets information about which retailer had received a winning ticket as part of his inventory. I’m pleased to report that in Michigan, the information this individual obtained is simply not available.

The company that provides our tickets will not give it to anyone—not even the commissioner. The knowledge of where winning tickets reside cannot be determined.

The measures described above relate to our instant ticket process, but you should know that our diligence and security extend to our online drawings as well. Each drawing is supervised by a Lottery drawing manager and, more importantly, an outside auditor who is responsible for reviewing the actions taken each step of the way.

Virtually every contingency that could be imagined, such as a power outage at the studio where the drawings take place, is addressed in an extremely detailed written procedures handbook. The equipment used in the drawings, including the balls for the Daily 3 and 4 games and the computers which generate the winning numbers for the other online games, are randomly rotated.

In addition, Michigan Lottery regulations prohibit the purchase of Lottery tickets by our employees. This rule even extends to all those living within a Lottery employee’s household. Having policies such as this in place is another measure in assuring the public that we cannot benefit ourselves or our families with “inside” information.

At Michigan Lottery, we prize integrity above everything else. We take our business very seriously and our reputation and relationship with our retailer partners and our players are critical. Rest assured that we will continue to operate under the highest of ethical standards.

New Instants
February 7: $2 Lucky Surprise ($17,000 top prize)
February 7: $5 Super Cash ($300,000)
February 14: $1 Double It ($2,000)
February 14: $20 $2,000,000 Mega Play ($2 million)
February 21: $2 Red Hot Tripler ($35,000)