Lottery drops ball for past 23 days

Programming error cited in brief statement

Email | Print By Ken Whitehouse

In a statement released to the media today, the Tennessee Lottery announced that "Cash 3" and "Cash 4" drawings over the past 23 days have been flawed.

According to a release issued by lottery spokesperson Kym Gerlock, "A programming issue that impacted the last three weeks of Cash 3 and Cash 4 drawings was discovered yesterday and attributed to a human error made by an outside, third party vendor, the Tennessee Lottery announced today."

"Once the issue was pinpointed, it was corrected immediately," said Rebecca Hargrove, President and CEO of the Tennessee Lottery, in a prepared statement. "The Tennessee Lottery sincerely regrets what happened and wants to reassure our players and everyone in Tennessee that the drawings have been rectified and we will continue to move forward with our mission to maximize dollars for education."

The lottery said that for "those who selected two or more of the same numbers in a play for Cash 3 or Cash 4 during the past 23 days (July 28 through Aug. 20) and who still have their tickets, the Lottery is offering a double refund for the price of each ticket or two free plays equal to the play amount on the ticket. For those who play Cash 3 or Cash 4 for the next 23 days, from Aug. 22 until Sept. 13, the Lottery will offer additional cash prizes. Players can win up to $599 in Cash 3 and up to $6,000 in Cash 4."

The lottery also stated that they are seeking an "outside consultant" to review the entire process.