AL ELLEMA

Never tell people that the odds in sweepstakes, lotto or any high stakes numbers game are too high that hitting the jackpot is almost impossible. To do so might bring one to embarrassment as the jackpot might just be hit in one betting which would make the person a liar at so high a cost that may be too difficult to recover. It would ruin the person’s credibility and integrity as his statement turned false. But the gargantuan prize is more than enough make amends for the mistake as the tough to win but there is truly that remote chance of winning by a stroke of luck.

There are mathematical procedures that could help determine the exact number of combinations for a certain draw where numbers could be in any order. There are draws too where permutation is applied as the set of numbers has to be in a specific order. In any way, the numbers open for bettors to choose could be computed with accuracy.

In the controversial lotto draws where the jackpot prizes were increased geometrically if not astronomically, people were caught is utter disbelief akin to one hit by vertigo as the jackpot prizes were won in succession, days after the other following the increased amount of prizes at stake. The highly improbable hits involving the different draws were too alarming that it drew the curiosity of the betting public as the portrait of the purported winner appeared edited that it showed patent differences.

Immediately, an investigation in aid of legislation was conducted by the senate with officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) grilled in a series of hearings that were beamed live on television and other social media platforms. The investigation aimed at drawing facts that could eventually led to future legislation.

The investigation delved into the glaring anomaly that attended the draws. It was discovered that a single bettor spent millions of pesos to bet on millions of combinations for an increased chance of winning. True enough, that lone better was the purported winner of the increased jackpot prize. The opinion given by a mathematician that any anomaly could be probed not using statistics but by audit is correct as the winning combination could be hit no matter the odds.

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