With zero faith or trust in anything regarding large sums of money, I would like for their to be a way to prove the integrity of powerballs, mega millions, etc. I would like for it to have an in person viewing option where participating citizens can somehow verify that it is legit and truly a random and fair drawing.
Powerball is operated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) and Mega Millions is operated by the Mega Millions Group. Both the MUSL and Mega Millions Group are non-profits working for the member state lotteries, and have strict protocols for how the drawings are operated.
These protocols are very well documented, and the drawings themselves are recorded for all to see - originally on local television stations during the late local news (at least on the East Coast and Central Time Zones), but now online as well.
Because of the risk of outside interference, the studio where the drawings are held do not permit audiences - and those in the studio (including the host of the drawing) have been background checked - and there are independent auditors watching over the lottery operation to verify that no external influence affects the drawings. Also lottery officials in the state where the drawings are held (Florida for MUSL, Georgia for Mega-Millions Group) are present to double and triple check that everything is above board.
Without diving too deep into the details, some of the procedures conducted with each drawing -
- Independent auditor will select one set of “balls” from over a dozen sets at random and remove them from a secure vault.
- Each “ball” is weighed to verify it’s weight is consistent with all the others in the set.
- Each “ball” will also be inspected for other defects.
- A second Independent auditor will select one pair of machines (these are like Bingo machines) for that day’s draw and they are moved from secure storage.
- The auditors will conduct multiple test drawings to verify the results are random and that both machines are operating correctly.
- The “live” drawing is then recorded, and the winning numbers selected.
- Additional test drawings are conducted before the auditors “certify” the drawing, and all of the “balls” and machines are returned to their secure storage.
It is then up to each member state to check their tickets and determine if there is a winner of the progressive jackpot and all of the non-progressive prizes. Some states allow the winner(s) to remain anonymous, while other states require the winner(s) to be named - while this has privacy implications (since a winner will obviously have a target on them for scammers and others with their hands out), those states that reveal the winners remain above board for the legitimacy of the game.