How a Nerd Cracked the Lottery
Published in
Jun 10, 2023
Once, mathematician Mohan Srivastava discovered a secret about scratch card lotteries.
While examining a tic-tac-toe game in Canada, he noticed distinct patterns on winning tickets.
Upon further investigation, Srivastava found a flaw: the numbers and symbols on the cards were not random but followed predictable patterns.
He shared his findings with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) in 2003, demonstrating his ability to predict winning tickets. The OLG confirmed the flaw, withdrew the game, and implemented improved security measures.
Srivastava’s story highlights the need for scrutiny and security in lottery game design.
It shows that with expertise and observation, even seemingly random systems can be decoded.
