[A] nearly year-long VTDigger investigation into the Vermont Lottery found that store owners and employees were claiming large winning tickets with unusual frequency.
By examining state lottery commission data and crosschecking it with store-ownership records, reporter Katy Savage found that at least 117 retailers, or those close to them, had won a prize of $600 or more, totaling nearly $1.8 million. In addition, employees at 29 convenience stores claimed more than $1.4 million in prizes from stores.
Although commission officials interviewed by VTDigger said they were not concerned by the findings, the special report prompted an immediate response following publication:
The governor asked the state lottery director to conduct a review to determine if the lottery had been compromised and report back within three weeks, saying Vermonters who choose to play the games have a right to know they are fair.
The Senate president pro tem proposed a statutory amendment calling on a new combined liquor and lottery commission to investigate possible irregularities in lottery winnings and report back by Oct. 1.
VTDigger’s reporter Katy Savage and Special Projects Editor Jim Welch spent hundreds of hours doing the tedious work required to bring this story to light. While we can’t prove wrongdoing, we have certainly been successful in demonstrating that some winners are beating the odds in a statistically improbable fashion.
The Vermont Lottery supports the education fund and its integrity is paramount in supporting our public schools. If it’s possible to game the system, it’s vitally important that Vermonters and our elected officials have good information to fix the problems.
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Anne Galloway
Editor and Executive Director
