'Acceptable range' of insider wins, says Atlantic Lotto

Atlantic Lottery Corporation employees, lottery retailers and their families are not winning more than they should, says ALC, although they are more likely to win big prizes than the general public.

'The retail owners tend to play the high-stakes games.' Jacques Allard, statistician

ALC says the number of insider wins on lottery ticket games is now within "an acceptable range."

A study published in April 2007 had found storeowners were winning large prizes 10 times more often than statistically probable. In response, ALC implemented a number of new measures, including an audible check to distinguish winning and losing tickets at retailers.

A year after the new security measures were implemented, an ALC study published at the end of November says the number of insider wins is where it should be. Tracking theoutcome is not possible, however, because the corporation has changed how it measures what it calls non-arm's-length wins. The 2007 study looked at lottery retailers, whilethe new study includes ALC employees and family members.

While ALC describes the wins as being within an acceptable range, the connected group is still winning a significant portion of the larger prizes: 7.14 per cent of the prizes worth $10,000 or more, as opposed to just 3.91 per cent of the prizes worth $1,000 to $9,999.

Ian Dohoo, a statistician at UPEI, said the chance of such a spread occurring at random is one in 285.

Statistician Dr. Jacques Allard, who teaches at the Universityof Moncton andhas done work for the corporation, said the situation is not entirely random. Insiders win bigger prizes because of thelotteries they choose to play.

"The retail owners tend to play the high-stakes games," said Allard.

"The general public tend to choose much more the game where you win often but lower prizes."

Last year ALC withheld three prizes claimed by non-arm's-length winners after conducting its own investigations.

Allard said Atlantic Lotto's new security measures seem to be working, but that ALC needs to do more to make sure stores use the measures. More than half of retailers tested last year failed their compliance checks.