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Just have to make these comments, even though some people won't find them funny: When you can slip up behind a child, who is standing on a chair; with his hand in a cookie jar on a shelf well above his head; and that child can still sincerely tell you he's not stealing cookies --- you know this is a future politician. Morale of these stories: Ms. Cloud, Ms. Kiplin, and Commissioners; we don't care about the semantics of the legalize. You promote a state monopoly of a very profitable product. We the people however, vote with our dollars. Straighten up, or ship out. When bragging about the increased sales of the 6/54 Lotto, why not compare the net profits of the decreased percentage to the School Fund. There has been some very intelligent email posted to this site recently. The general population is just as intelligent. Last thought: Texas Two Step, 'power ball' style play exciting? Guess again, it just destroys any possibility of tracking most or least frequent numbers. BOYCOTT!
I received the cutest comic today and I just had to share it. Click here to see it. Why would I ever write to the TLC expecting an answer to any of my questions after the answer I got last time? This really tees me off. (He's referring to the Q&A from the TLC web site that I posted on the "Check Daily" page on April 16th where the TLC suggests for players to buy the same numbers twice - and for 10 draws!) Below is a message that was forwarded to me by a player who received this message from the TLC. This is the TLC's response to his comments regarding the scratch off promotional pieces no longer disclosing how many tickets were printed or how many prizes there are for the game. I want to thank the player for sharing this with me and my comments will be will be in blue. The TLC Writes: Thank you for your e-mail regarding the Texas Lottery's instant games. In your message, you make several statements that are incorrect. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns and to provide accurate information. (Question, will the information be readily available in the stores before the tickets are sold? That is the only acceptable manner in which players will accept disclosure - vital game data must be found at point of sale locations.) (Oh boy, now the above paragraphs could get me and my mouth in big trouble! For telling this one, I wonder how I'll get punished <grin> First, the statement, "It is within the discretion of the Executive Director to publish individual game rules" - this must be just like it is the "discretion of the Director" to pay the 6 of 6 winners either the "advertised amount" or the "percentage of sales" amount - funny thing about all this - rumor had it that Kim Kiplin and Linda Cloud decided NOT to include this little tidbit in the "rule" back in Feb 1997 when they decided to start paying the "advertised amount" instead of the "percentage of sales." I suppose you could call this another "loophole." For those of you who may not know or understand, they switched to paying the "advertisied amount" when the changes were made to pay winners in 25 years instead of 20 years and the Cash Value Option began. They elected NOT to include this tidbit in the rule so that they could have an option of which way to pay the winners. They must have felt "guilty." The reason for this change, 20 vs 25 years, was that sales were down and this was their solution of keeping higher jackpots - then, as you know, in 1999 they came up with adding 4 balls as another way of keeping higher jackpots and increasing sluggish sales, or should I say, screwing the people. And FYI, sales are down even more now as a result of their attempts. Second, the statement "the rule you cited, 16 TAC 401.302, does not require publication of individual game rules." But the rule DOES state, "Game procedures "shall" be published in the Texas Register and "shall" be made available to the public upon request. At a minimum, the game procedures for each game shall contain the following information: ... "d" is 'prize structure' and "g" is 'ticket order quantity'." Let's see, the loophole that TLC attorney's "will" try to use right now is that it does not specify "exactly when" they have to be published in the Texas Registry but it seems odd that the games have always been published PRIOR to the start of a game but now they're not published until after the game has been selling. Example, Yellow Rose of Texas was published last year in the Texas Registry yet it just began selling on April 11, 2001. I can name many others but won't. Also, the information was requested by me and it was not made available which IS a violation. Incidentially, the paragraph this all falls under is discussing "'Prior' to each instant game" too. ) Finally, regarding your statement, "The Texas Lottery conducts its operations in an ethical manner and will continue to do so." Well, this is clearly an opinion and by just having this subject matter being discussed at all is in my opinion, "unethical" and not "consumer friendly." The TLC MUST disclose vital information to players or Texas needs to get rid of the Lottery - in my opinion, of course. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us by e-mail or by calling our toll free Customer Service Hotline at 1-800-375-6886 during normal business hours.
I just visited your site for the first time and did learn a few things I was unaware of. I do have one question and that is: Are there any areas of the state where you would be more likely to purchase a winning scratch-off more than another place or do all areas have the same odds? Since I don't live in a large metro area, I wondered if this meant my chances were diminished? Thanks for your comments. (I sincerely, at this time, believe your chances are the same - slim - but the same.)
I found a glitch on a couple of your pages. On the results for 2000 and on the full listing for 2001, there is a problem on the Texas Millions info. For 12-15-00 and 12-22-00, it shows the exact same ball set and numbers. I'm pretty sure one of them is wrong, but not sure which. (Thank you very much - as you know - it took me two attempts to fix the error. You will notice, however, that I posted a notice of change too - unlike some other state agencies that don't bother to mention it ... but I won't say who!) ... I had to chuckle at your comments in the updates on Don's Pick 3 info.... where you said that you'd played a certain combination up until the day or two before it appeared. Someone's "looking over your shoulder too, h??... when you mark those tickets.... hee hee. Same thing's happened to us on a couple of occasions too. You just have to laugh and say, Ce la vie! (sp.?? of Ce). Thanks again for your website and oh, where has "928" in the Pick3 gone....it was, for a long time the most prolific combo? Seems as though it should be about to make an appearance soon.....famous last words, huh?
Next few messages are regarding not disclosing vital information on the promotional pieces.
.... I further believe that the actions of Linda Cloud, over the past two years, have If she is willing to violate the laws of this state to hide information from the players, what else is she willing to do? I think she will stop at nothing as long as the Commission allows her to get away with it. Who speaks for the players? C.J., DeSoto
Subject: Instant Game Tickets Dear Sirs, I have read with interest that there is going to be a new scratch of game starting shortly. It is my understanding that the game "Moolah Magic" will be starting ticket sales on March 28th. I am curious as to what the prize structure of this game will be and what the total number of tickets is. I have not seen this information published locally. My retailer is unable to provide me with this information. My normal source for news about the lottery, a publication named "Lotto Report", has been unable to provide me with this information, and this information is not posted on the official lottery web site, www.txlottery.org. It is my understanding that the Texas Lottery Commission has asked for permission from the legislature to not publish this information. There was a hearing held in January with members of the Legislature concerning this. I have not heard of any answers yet from the legislature but when I checked on the Secretary of State's official web site, the Texas Administrative Code has not been changed and still requires this information to be published prior to the start of the game. This is mentioned specifically in Title 16, Part 9, Chapter 401, Subchapter D, I wrote to my legislators opposing this rule change when I heard about the hearing. I pointed out then, and I point out now, that there is no valid reason for keeping this information secret. In January, shortly before this hearing, the national media made a laughingstock of the TLC when the local college class proved that the TLC had been lying about the odds of winning. This change may have been planned before this, but the timing is certainly suspicious to me. It leads me to wonder exactly what the TLC is trying to hide. From my reading of the laws and your actions, I believe that the TLC has committed violations of the Texas Administrative Code and possibly of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. I believe that the TLC has shown itself to be non responsive to the public. I believe the TLC has shown itself to be deficient in ethical judgment. I believe that this is not a common situation in Texas Government and is not going to be tolerated by other public officials or members of the public. I am sending copies of this letter to the Secretary of State and Attorney General requesting that they investigate the ethical and legal breaches which may have occurred. I am also sending a copy of the letter to Governor Perry so that he may consider new appointments to the Texas Lottery Commission to resolve this issue. Please feel free to contact me at the below address if there are any questions concerning matters in this letter. S.R
I was wondering about the information on the Texas state lottery website. I recently tried for a couple days to get information on some scratchoff games. The more expensive games that are five dollars or more. I wanted to know what top prizes were left and how many the game started with. However every time I clicked on the game, I got an unavailable. Is this a usual occurence? Also could you tell me of the convenience stores that usually offer all of the scratch off games? Me and my mother recently found a store near downtown that had all of the games. T. H.
WHY is the Texas Lotto wanting to hide info on the number of tickets they print up that actually WIN something on their scratch off games??? WHAT are they trying to hide.... maybe they plan on NO tickets actually winning so they can keep more $$$$$$ instead of letting US the people who play these games have some of it.... Are YOU going to let these crooks get away with this??? YOU can be REPLACED with honest folk if you look the other way on this one. I have read a transcript of the January 31, 2001 Emergency meeting called by the TLC, and it sounds like they wish to remove the posted list of number of tickets and approximate winners for each scratch-off game from the lotto retailer locations. If I do not have this information, and it is not available on their website, I will not be buying any scratch-offs whatsoever. It sems like the total variance in their incomplete audit is no more than 4%. If this is true, then they should say so, but still print and distribute the information. I would prefer to have more information than less, such as the approximate number of tickets sold per week, or two weeks or whatever. I did not have a computer until a year ago, so to be fair, this info needs to be easily available to the general public at every lottery outlet. If the info on winners is two weeks old, then say so: winners as of such and such a date. The odds of winning back more than 40% of what you spend are so low that every player has a right to improve their chances to win or to minimize their loss by choosing games with prizes left. I feel that when most prizes are exhausted, say 96%, they should pull the game anyway, and start a second version of the same game with a new number, with the unsold tickets numbers being printed and the number of unsold winners rolled over into the second game. Since the number of winning tickets cashed is accurate, I would to continue receiving that info on display at every lotto retail outlet.
I am aware that the lottery commission held an emergency meeting on Jan. 31, 2001 to discuss non disclosure of information pertaining to scratch off tickets. The more the commission is in power the more I am beginning to believe that the whole organization is corrupt. I have played the lotto by choice since it started. I voted for it. If it was up to us to re-vote on it, I would vote against it. This whole thing is a farce. The present way the lottery money is being dispersed is not what I voted for, you know it and I know it and every other politician in Austin knows it. We could have a good thing here if you all would get it straight. L. F. Dallas Please let me know what the reason is that you should hide information about the scratch offs. I like to know what I am buying. Why can't I know what is left and what the percentages are? It works, just the way it is...Would prefer not to have any info to public changed. Sincerely, C. M.
I firmly believe this information should be readily available to buyers of these games at the time and place of purchase. Any other arrangement is dishonest. R.G. You might want to pick at Ms. Cloud's memory and habit of telling half truths again. In this week's 'letters to the Director', she tells someone complaining about the 6/54 game to play the Texas Million, since it pays $1 million and has only 3.9 million to 1 odds. This is true, only because she didn't put the $ statement in front of the 3.9 - this is a $2 dollar game, so the odds are 7.8 million to 1. Also she is recommending a game that has already been terminated, and the TLC web site says so. Second, the papers are listing the March 7, 2001 6/54 drawing as being the biggest jackpot in the TLC's history, which as you pointed out is not so. You might see if this is a press release, or just the TLC's contentment in not correcting something that makes the first page of the papers. Yes, you are correct. On March 16, 1994, there were 5 winners and each winner collected $15,422,090.61. That means the TLC paid $77,110,453. This jackpot amount, $77 million, can also be found on the TLC's web site under "Who Sold the Winning Tickets - 1994." I think Mrs. Cloud's goal is to break a jackpot record - she hopes there will be no winner Wednesday night so that she can offer a $100,000,000 jackpot. This is "stink'n think'n." Not to mention that it sounds like an ego trip too. By adding those 4 balls, she guaranteed 'winning would be difficult' and here's the proof. Under 6/54, there's been 66 drawings with only 9 jackpot's won. How sad for the people of Texas. Continued ...Click here to read more.
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