"Coincidence" Lottery Commission Denies Manipulation Claims
Expected Net Amount Around 314 Million Won
In the 1128th Lotto draw, a record-breaking 63 people won first prize. The prize money, however, amounted to only 420 million won, marking the second lowest in history. As a large number of winners emerged, conspiracy theories about manipulation have spread among some netizens. However, the operator, Donghaeng Lottery, dismissed these claims, stating it was not an error but a 'coincidence.'
On the 14th, Donghaeng Lottery, the operator of the Lotto, announced that the winning numbers for the 1128th draw held the previous day were '1·5·8·16·28·33.' A total of 63 people matched all six numbers, making it the highest number of first prize winners in Lotto history. Among these winners, 11 tickets were automatically selected, and 52 were manually chosen, making such a large cluster of first prize winners extremely rare. The previous record for the most first prize winners was 50 people in the 1019th draw on June 12, 2022. In the 1057th draw held in March 2023, there was controversy as 664 second prize tickets were issued nationwide.
In the 1128th Lotto draw, a record-high 63 people won first prize. The prize money was only 420 million won, marking the second-lowest amount in history. As a large number of winners emerged, conspiracy theories spread among some netizens. However, the Korea Lottery Corporation dismissed these claims as mere coincidences, not errors. The photo is unrelated to the article content. Photo by Asia Economy
With so many winners, the first prize money was only 419,925,560 won, the second lowest amount ever. After deducting income tax of 30% (20% for amounts under 300 million won) and resident tax of 3% (2% for amounts under 300 million won), the estimated net amount received is about 314 million won. The lowest prize money in history was 409,540,000 won on May 18, 2013 (546th draw), when there were 30 winners. The previous record for the most winners, 50 first prize winners in the 1019th draw, each received 438,565,000 won.
Lotto prize money is distributed from 50% of the sales revenue. Recently, as Lotto sales have increased, the prize money has avoided being the lowest despite the record number of first prize winners. Following the emergence of the record number of winners, conspiracy theories about Lotto manipulation have resurfaced on social media and online communities. Regarding this, a Donghaeng Lottery official explained, "There are numbers that tend to be picked more often, so it was just a coincidence that these matched."
The official added, "As more people buy Lotto tickets, it is natural for the number of winners to increase," and "Statistically, the amount spent on Lotto purchases is steadily rising." Netizens responded with comments such as, "After taxes, it's 300 million won, which isn't enough to rent an apartment in Seoul," "You can't turn your life around with Lotto anymore," and "Even the first prize winners must feel disappointed."
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