Two Lotto Auto First-Prize Winners at the Same Store... "Explain If It's Not Manipulation" Conspiracy Theories Arise

16 First-Prize Winners, Each Receiving 1.79 Billion KRW
Two Automatic First-Prize Winners from Siheung, Gyeonggi Province

Two first-prize winners who automatically entered the lotto happened to come out of the same sales outlet, sparking conspiracy theories.

On the 1st, the lottery number for the 1161st Lotto draw, conducted by the lottery operator Donghaeng Lottery, was announced. The first-prize winning numbers are '2, 12, 20, 24, 34, 42', and the second-prize bonus number is '37'. There are 16 first-prize winners who matched all six numbers, each receiving a prize of 1,792,650,000 KRW.

Among the 16 first-prize winners, 10 purchased their tickets through the automatic selection method. The sales outlets are ▲ Sinil (177 Kkachisan-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, Unit 101) ▲ Donghaeng Lotto Sales (33-1 Hwadojin-ro, Dong-gu, Incheon, 1st floor) ▲ Bokgwon Wangguk (359 Buheung-ro, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, 1st floor) ▲ Dream Lottery Room (100 G-dong, 180 Art Center-daero 168beon-gil, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon) ▲ Daegil Lottery (2129-1 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 1st floor) ▲ Comprehensive Lottery Super (104 Jeongil Building, 336 Mayu-ro, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do) ▲ Comprehensive Lottery Super (104 Jeongil Building, 336 Mayu-ro, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do) ▲ Neukkim Lottery Sales (328 Yongsin-ro, Sangnok-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do) ▲ Bokjori Lottery Room (55-4 Janggyecheonbyeon-gil, Jangsu-gun, Jeonbuk) ▲ Lotto Lottery Pohang IC Branch (340 Saemaeul-ro, Buk-gu, Pohang-si, Gyeongbuk, next to 7-Eleven).

Citizens are lined up in a long queue in front of a lotto sales store in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

The sales outlets where six winners chose their numbers manually are ▲ Daebak Sinhwa Lottery Sales (267 Inha-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon) ▲ Emart24 Jung Ulsan Branch (21 Okgolsaem 4-gil, Jung-gu, Ulsan) ▲ 46 Jungtong Lotto Sales (106, 39 Jungsimsangga-ro, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do) ▲ Daeseon Tax Management Office (101, 189 Seokho-ro, Sangnok-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do) ▲ Lottery Country (27 Seongho-daero 93beon-gil, Osan-si, Gyeonggi-do) ▲ Seven Lottery (19 Chojung 6-gil, Jeungpyeong-gun, Chungbuk, 1st floor).

Among these, the sales outlet that produced two automatic first-prize winners simultaneously is Comprehensive Lottery Super on Mayu-ro, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do. Because of this, conspiracy theories have emerged mainly on online communities. One netizen said, "An unbelievable situation has happened again," and questioned, "Is it mathematically and probabilistically possible for two automatic first-prize winners to come from the lotto?"

He added, "The government should investigate and explain whether there is any computer manipulation that adds first-prize winners after the number draw," and said, "In the US, lotteries like Powerball and Mega Millions transparently disclose the faces and names of first-prize winners depending on the state." He further emphasized, "If it is difficult to disclose this information, the exact date, time, minute, and second of the first-prize ticket purchase should be disclosed precisely."

Meanwhile, 117 people won the second prize by matching five numbers plus the bonus number, each receiving 40,850,000 KRW. 4,107 people who matched five numbers won the third prize, each receiving 1,160,000 KRW. 181,457 people who matched four numbers received 50,000 KRW each, and 2,859,815 people who matched three numbers received 5,000 KRW each as the fifth prize.