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RBlog: Lickin' the Lottery

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Kent Jennings Brockwell / Richmond.com
With the Mega Millions jackpot reaching $260+ million Friday, we buy an extra lotto ticket this week and take an inside look at the Virginia Lottery.

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Thursday, March 01, 2007

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A quick good cause

Feb. 28 at 11:10 p.m.

As soon as it started, it was over.

I have been here since 9 p.m. and the lotto team has been constantly testing since 8 p.m. Spencer, however, called the numbers and potentially changed numerous lives in less than one minute.

Because Cash 5 is drawn off camera shortly before the show begins, Spencer is able to call both Pick 3 and Pick 4 in about 19 seconds. Win For Life only takes about 30 seconds.

It doesn't matter either way for me. I didn't win.

Pick 3 was 0-2-7. Pick 4 was 1-7-0-0. Win For Life was 6-18-21-24-32-39+36.

Hopefully, someone somewhere is screaming their head off because they just walked into early retirement. Work at the TV station, however, isn't finished yet.

As soon as Spencer goes off-air, the lotto team begins testing again. They run a post-drawing drawing on every machine to make sure there are no miscues.

Then, Eades and Anderson get back on the conference call with Kentucky, Georgia and Virginia's lottery offices. He meticulously calls out each Win For Life number with a representaive from each state and has them call the numbers back to him. Then Anderson gets on the phone and goes through the same process with a second representative from each state.

After the Win For Life affiliates in Kentucky and Georgia are verified, Eades stays on the phone with Virginia to verify the picks from tonight's other games. Then, as Daniel-Gardner faxes paper versions of the night's drawings to headquarters and the lottery's security division, Eades gets on the phone with the Associated Press and the Richmond Times-Dispatch to report the numbers. All the while, Anderson is securing the lotto machines and registering and locking up the individual ball sets.

So is it all worth it?

"If [the lottery players] saw all of this and what we have to do, they would realize that it is worth it," said Daniel-Gardner.

And not just for the integrity of the game. Though most people don't realize what kind of detail is put into the nightly one-minute drawings, many also forget that the Virginia Lottery is primarily set up to raise money for the state's school systems.

In 2006, the lottery contributed $454 million to Virginia's schools, more than $20 million of which went to Richmond-area schools.

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, Richmond.com

Thoughts? Send your comments to mailto:editor@richmond.com?Subject=[Blog]

Making the call

Feb. 28 at 10:47 p.m.

At about 10 p.m., the team finished up the last of their pre-drawing tests and Anderson, an independent auditor with Brown & Company, reloaded the balls into the drop chutes.

Mikki Spencer, a local radio personality and evening host for the lottery drawing, shows up about the same time. And, yes, she is just as bubbly and personable as she appears on TV. She seems to bring a little color and added energy that has been lacking from the past hour of meticulous accounting and integrity validation.

Camera operators and producers also begin milling around while preparing the set and testing their equipment. After everything is ready to go, Spencer, the lottery team and the TV crew begin to run a few test rehearsals with and without the lotto machines, all under Anderson's watchful eyes.

Then, at 10:43 p.m., Eades begins setting up the twice-weekly conference call between lottery officials in Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia for tonight's Win For Life drawing. Eades tells me that lottery machines in all three states will cut off ticket sales for tonight's game at 10:45 p.m.

Within 30 seconds, representatives from all three states have called in to verify that all sales for the evening throughout the three states have been posted.

Spencer wraps up her rehearsals and Alvin reloads the balls in each of the machines again.

It's almost go time.

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, Richmond.com

Thoughts? Send your comments to mailto:editor@richmond.com?Subject=[Blog]

Testing, testing, 1-2-35-37…

Feb. 28 at 9:57 p.m.

After weighing and recording each ball's weight and visually checking all of the machines to be used for the night, Eades, Anderson and Daniel-Gardner push all of the machines to the studio and begin hooking everything up to an electronic control board.

It's time to do their nightly tests to make sure everything will go smoothly later tonight during the real drawings.

When all of the balls are loaded into their respective machines, the team takes their positions. With Daniel-Gardner on the control panel, Eades running a small video camera and Anderson recording everything on a clipboard, the group fires up each machine and begin doing multiple sets of drawings. They even test each of the back-up machines a few times.

So far, everything seems to be going fine. But with about six test drawings per machine per night, I can't imagine too much could go wrong.

Integrity of the games aside, this does seem like an excessive amount of work each night for less than 60 seconds of on-air action. Then again, there are millions of dollars on the line each evening.

I guess it seems reasonable - especially if they pull my numbers.

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, Richmond.com

Thoughts? Send your comments to mailto:editor@richmond.com?Subject=[Blog]

Million dollar ping-pong

Feb. 28 at 9:35 p.m.

When I arrived at the Channel 6 station on Broad Street at 9 p.m., I was met at the front door by Virginia Lottery communications specialist John Hagerty.

As a former politics and features reporter for the station, he easily knew his way around the station and quickly escorted me to the lottery's studio toward the back of the building. After maneuvering around the large cameras making sure not to trip over the miles of wires and cords on the ground, he leads me to a cramped, very warm room full of lottery machines, safes, stacks of paper. There are also three people watching a television, each wearing a cream-colored cotton glove on one hand.

After a few Michael Jackson quips, I am introduced to Robert Eades, Alvin Anderson and Movita Daniel-Gardner - tonight's eyes, ears and operators of the Virginia Lottery.

Because I keep staring at their gloved hands, Eades quickly explains why everyone has gone Jacko.

"We wear them when we handle the balls," he said. "A build-up of oils from our hands could potentially affect whether one ball has a little bit more weight that the others. Every ball has to have exactly the same chance of reaching the top."

I begin to see the extreme detail that Hill-Christian was talking about earlier this week.

After quickly showing me around the room, Eades, who is in charge of security tonight, shows me a safe full of small black plastic cases. Inside each of these cases is a set of numbered balls for the Pick 3 and Pick 4 drawings. There is another safe for the Cash 5 and Win For Life ball sets.

Though they look like you typical ping-pong ball, Eades said they are a little tougher and more carefully manufactured. And at $1,000 per set, they are definitely more expensive.

Eades then begins weighing and recording each ball's weight. According to Virginia Lottery's rules, each ball must weigh between 2.30 and 3.00 grams and no set can vary from heaviest to lightest by more than 14/100s of a gram.

And that is just the beginning of the Lottery's nitpicking.

There are 13 different ball sets for Pick 3 and Pick 4, four separate sets for Cash 5 and four separate sets for Win For Life. There are also several duplicate machines for each game. As soon as the lottery officials arrive at the station, they hold an absolutely random drawing for each game played that night where they randomly pick the ball sets and the machines.

If you are confused after reading this - good. Eades said the systematic randomness they go though each night ensures that there is no tomfoolery going on with any of the games,

"This is probably the part that most people don't see and don't know about," Eades said.

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, Richmond.com

Thoughts? Send your comments to mailto:editor@richmond.com?Subject=[Blog]

The other Lady Luck

Feb. 28 at 7:01 p.m.

Though a high ranking civil servant for most of her career, the Virginia Lottery's most recently appointed executive director is as close to Lady Luck as most people can get.

In May 2006, Shelia Hill-Christian left her previous post as director of Richmond's Redevelopment and Housing Authority to head the lottery, or what she calls a "billion dollar corporation trapped in the body of a state agency."

Earlier this week, I took a trip to the non-descript East Main Street headquarters of the Virginia Lottery to meet Hill-Christian to get a behind-the-scenes look at the process behind my weekly $1 chance at fortune.

Though most people visit the lottery's HQ to change out their winning tickets for supersized checks, I had a different goal for my visit – I want find out about the infamous and very infectious Lottery Fever.

Though the Mega Millions jackpot starts over at $12 million once someone wins, Hill-Christian said massive ticket sales like what has been experienced this week doesn't usually begin until the millions hit nine digits.

"It used to get where people were excited when [the jackpot] was up to $50 million," she said. "Now, we don't really generate a high level of public excitement until it is up to about $200 million. It starts to improve around $100 million but we really see the fever hit when it hits $200 million."

While she still gets excited about big jackpots, Hill-Christian unfortunately can't catch the fever anymore. She, just like all Virginia Lottery employees and members of their households, is not allowed to play any of the games no matter how high the jackpot, which seems sort of wrong being her name is printed on the back of every ticket.

"It's just an integrity issue and that is part of the reason we make it public when there are large winners," she said. "We want to make sure the public knows that it is not me winning. It just makes sense to not even open that door."

Besides the fact that Lottery employees can't join in any of the millionaire games, Hill-Christian said most regular players probably don't realize the other integrity-insuring efforts that go into each game and every drawing.

"Just the level of detail that this organization goes into to insure the integrity of the games that permeates throughout security, financial operations, IT systems, how the drawings are done – I don't think I realized how critical it was to the public trust," she said. "It's something I took for granted before that I really appreciate now."

Well, if it as detailed as Hill-Christian said it is, I am sure tonight will be interesting. At 9 p.m., I am headed to the Virginia Lottery's draw show studio at Channel 6 to see what all the fuss is about.

Seriously, it's just a bunch of numbered ping-pong balls. How serious could it be?

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, Richmond.com

Thoughts? Send your comments to mailto:editor@richmond.com?Subject=[Blog]

...And the taxman taketh away

Feb. 28 at 4:55 p.m.

I have come to reason with the fact that I didn't win last night. I realize that my dreams of swimming around in platinum-lined pools of gold bullion like Uncle Scrooge just aren't going to come true today.

That's why I just bought a new ticket for Friday's drawing! Daydreams here I come!

But before my dreams of new cars, gaudy jewelry and endangered panther skin sofas begin, let's take a look at my hypothetical oversized check after the IRS knocks off a few zeros.

Let's say I single-handedly win Friday's estimated $267 million jackpot. After the paramedics resuscitate me, I will have to look at my options. For the past several years, jackpot winners have been offered either annual payments for 26 years or a one-time payout option.

If I were to take the annual payment route, I would receive approximately $10.2 million per year for 26 years before taxes. After taxes, it would work out to about $7.2 million annually. Overall, after being beat on the kidneys by the IRS, I would net about $187 million.

On the other hand, if I took the cash-out option, I would receive a four-foot wide pre-taxed check for $158.6 million. After taxes, I would take home a little more than $112 million.

While many non-winners (including myself) might say they would take the annual payout to get that extra $70 million, I imagine the feeling you get after receiving a single check for $112 million would only come second to winning the...uh...nevermind.

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, Richmond.com

Thoughts? Send your comments to mailto:editor@richmond.com?Subject=[Blog]

I'm a loser, baby

Feb. 28 at 9:45 a.m.

With $216 million staring me in the face, you think I would have stayed awake last night to watch the Mega Millions drawing, which is actually held in Atlanta.

Now that I have checked my ticket, I'm glad I got the extra sleep.

It looks like 12-14-25-53-55+30 weren't my lucky numbers after all. It also looks like the winning numbers, 18-31-44-45-48+18, weren't as lucky as they could have been either.

According to the Virginia Lottery's website, valottery.com, no one hit the big jackpot last night but 18 lucky people did match their first five numbers to win $250,000 each. Unfortunately, none of those lucky dogs were in Virginia.

The good news for Virginians? The jackpot for the next drawing on March 2 is expected to be $267 million. Though the biggest jackpot in Mega Millions history was $363 million in May 2000, back when it was called the Big Game, it hasn't this high since last April.

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, Richmond.com

Thoughts? Send your comments to mailto:editor@richmond.com?Subject=[Blog]

$1 Closer to Retirement

Feb. 27 at 11:10 a.m.

I feel really good about this one.

In my hand, I am holding six numbers that could change my life - or make me $1 closer to overdrawing my bank account...again.

After a quick trip to the 7-11 at Main and Harrison in the Fan, I am officially in the running for tonight's Mega Million jackpot of $216 million.

Much like every other time I have played the Virginia Lottery, I find it amazing how a $2 investment (I also bought a ticket for my girlfriend) can instantly send you directly into an hour-long daydream fantasy land where you quit your job, all your debts disappear and you drive a brand new jet black Ford F-450 that was paid for in cash.

Unfortunately, I am not the only ticket holder sitting at a desk right now dreaming of instant, unfathomable wealth and retirement. According to estimates from the Virginia Lottery, 2.1 million other Mega Millions tickets will be sold in Virginia alone today.

I asked the store clerk how sales have been so far today.

"Actually, pretty slow so far considering," she said.

I hope she enjoys her rest because Lottery officials estimate that tickets will sell at a rate of more than 4,100 per minute statewide at some periods today.

Then again, there are 216 million reasons to play today.

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, Richmond.com

Thoughts? Send your comments to mailto:editor@richmond.com?Subject=[Blog]

How you doin' Lady Luck?

Feb. 27 at 9:35 a.m.

If your employer is anything like mine, asking for a $216 million raise would typically involve a ransom note and a lot of duct tape.

That's why we play the lottery!

For $1 and a total lack of police involvement, Virginians can easily pick a few numbers, cross their fingers and have a chance at winning millions thanks to our Virginia Lottery.

Since Virginians voted for a state-operated lottery in 1987, thousands of ticket holders have won both large and small amounts over the years by playing a variety of lotto games. Tonight, however, players of the Mega Millions game, which is played in Virginia and 11 other states, have a chance to win one of the largest jackpots in Virginia lottery history - $216 million!

So with such a monumental amount of cash on the line, we at Richmond.com decided that this week would be as good a time as any to take an inside look at the Virginia Lottery. Over the next few days, RBlog will follow the big games, attend a live Win For Life drawing and take a trip to Virginia Lottery headquarters to interrogate Lady Luck.

Also, unbeknownst to our accountants, we will give you a hands-on account of playing different games as we write-off about nine dozen scratch-off lotto tickets.

Oh, did I just say that?

Nevermind...

-- Kent Jennings Brockwell, Richmond.com

Thoughts? Send your comments to mailto:editor@richmond.com?Subject=[Blog]

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