The controversy began after the Saturday Donghaeng Lotto draw, where 16 people matched all six numbers, but suspicion arose when two winning tickets were sold at the same store in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province
People are questioning South Korea’s lottery system after two winning jackpot tickets came from the same store leading to talk about possible cheating.
Unlikely Double Jackpot Win Sparks Cheating Allegations in South Korea
The issue started after the March 1 Donghaeng Lotto draw where 16 people picked all six numbers. While it is not strange to have many winners in one draw, eyebrows went up because two of these winning tickets were bought using the lottery’s random number picker at one store in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, reported The Times.
The unusual odds of this event have sparked doubt among many people. Folks online are asking if the system is random, with some claiming extra winners might have been added after the drawing. Social media is buzzing with talk about what happened, and some users are calling for a look into possible cheating.
Government officials and lottery representatives deny any foul play. The Finance Ministry, which runs the lottery, says all ticket sales points lose connection to the main system 35 minutes before each draw. This makes it impossible to create more winning tickets afterward. The lottery operator stands by the results saying that while they are very rare, they are still within the bounds of what could happen.
Experts Confirm Safety of Lottery, But Skepticism Lingers
People have had similar worries before. Back in 2023, eyebrows were raised when a lot of people won big jackpots, which led officials to ask statistics experts to look into it. The experts found that the lottery was safe and that having several winners was not out of the ordinary. To make people feel better about the whole thing, the lottery officials later did live drawings with reporters and regular people watching.
Something similar also happened in 2024 when 63 Winners hit the Donghang lottery jackpot.
Despite the expert assurances, many South Koreans remain skeptical. The policy of not identifying lottery winners, unlike some other countries, has fueled doubts. Some citizens want to see detailed purchase times for the winning tickets released.
They believe that openness measures like those in US lotteries such as Powerball and Mega Millions, could help rebuild trust in the system.The argument over whether the lottery system is fair will continue as conspiracy theories spread online. For now, the small lottery shop in Siheung finds itself in the national spotlight. Many people wonder if its two jackpot wins are just an amazing stroke of luck or something more concerning.
