April 10, 2020
CHANGE IN HOW LOTTERY DRAWINGS ARE PERFORMED STARTING MONDAY DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS
The Kentucky Lottery is planning a change to the way drawings are conducted for the daily Pick 3, Pick 4 and CashBall 225 games.
Starting Monday, April 13, 2020 these games will not be drawn using balls and machines. Instead, a dedicated computer system known as a random number generator will randomly generate winning numbers.
This will not be a new system to the Kentucky Lottery – winning numbers for the daily 5 Card Cash game have been drawn using a random number generator for almost eight years. Currently 31 state lotteries in the U.S. use some form of a random number generator for their lottery drawings.
“By using this system, our drawings will be done in a much quicker manner with the same levels of security and integrity,” said the Kentucky Lottery’s Sr. vice president of communications, PR and social responsibility Chip Polston. “Given the current COVID-19 situation, we want to improve safety for our draw staff as much as possible. Instead of taking an hour for the midday drawing and almost two hours for the evening drawing using the old method of balls and machines, we will now be able to complete this vital function in a matter of minutes.”
The random number generators are not connected to any external system and contain no ability to connect to the internet. The device is locked into a full-sized chassis, and tampering is prevented with a bar-coded security bolt that has to be destroyed to be removed. Detailed written procedures require two people to be present at all times in order to access the system, containing a number of checks which must be verified by both individuals before a drawing can be conducted.
The random number generators are housed in the dedicated draw studio with extensive electronic and video surveillance located at the Kentucky Lottery headquarters building in Louisville. Midday lottery drawings take place at approximately 1:20 PM EST, and the evening drawing occurs at approximately 10:58 PM EST. Winning numbers will be available minutes after the drawing at kylottery.com, and can also be accessed via the Lottery’s mobile app or at any retailer.