'Strange rules' of Thua Thien Hue lottery tickets

The scratch-off lottery results of Thua Thien Hue Lottery Company Limited often show duplicate numbers in the two-digit prize. Even in 15 draws, it is not uncommon for up to 4 duplicate numbers to appear.

Lottery results with symbols from BL 22 to BL 27 with many 2-digit prizes always having the same number - Photo: TRUONG TRUNG

This result is considered by statistical probability experts to be more unlikely than... winning the lottery.

We conduct the lottery drawing in the same way as traditional paper lottery drawing, with surveillance cameras and the participation of representatives from many agencies such as the police, provincial inspectors... according to regulations.

Mr. Le Trung Phuoc (Director of Thua Thien Hue Lottery State-owned Company Limited)

2-digit solutions always have duplicate numbers

Scratch-off lottery tickets (VND 2,000/ticket) have pre-drawn lottery results. Players who buy tickets will tear off the outer wrapping to see the random lottery ticket inside.

Then compare with the previous lottery results to see if you have won or not. This is the form that most lottery companies across the country do business because the ticket prices are cheap, suitable for the entertainment tastes of the majority because players know the winning results immediately.

Observing the scratch-off lottery results of Thua Thien Hue State Lottery Company continuously over the past time, we discovered a strange rule: there are often two results in the two-digit prize.

In the two-digit prize (from 00 to 99), depending on the draw, there will be 7 or 15 draws. The results of the State-owned Thua Thien Hue Lottery Company often have numbers appearing twice. Even in seven draws, sometimes there are 2 numbers appearing twice, in 15 draws, there are 4 numbers appearing twice.

In the latest lottery BL 31 with 15 draws, the number 11 appeared twice.

In the lottery BL 30 with 7 draws, the number 41 appeared twice.

In the lottery BL 29 with 7 draws, the number 29 appeared twice.

In the lottery BL 28 with 15 draws, the number 52 appeared twice.

In the lottery BL 27 with 7 draws, there were 2 pairs of numbers appearing twice: 63 and 91.

In the lottery BL 26 with 15 draws, there were 4 pairs of numbers appearing twice including 35, 68, 70, 91...

The lottery results for the 2-digit prize always have the number appearing twice continuously throughout the past time. Not only the lottery results in 2024 but also in previous years, there was a similar situation.

Even in many lottery draws with 15 draws, up to 3 numbers appear twice.

More specifically, many lottery rounds have 15 draws in which up to 4 numbers appear twice, such as in the lottery numbers BL 26, BL 22 (issued in 2024) and the lottery number BI 79 (issued in 2023).

We noticed something unusual in the two-digit prize results of Thua Thien Hue Lottery Company Limited. To verify, we compared them with neighboring lottery companies. The most recent two-digit prize results of Da Nang Lottery Company Limited showed that in 10 lottery draws (each draw had 7 two-digit numbers) with 70 draws, only one number appeared twice.

The reporter took the lottery results to statistical probability experts to find an explanation. A lecturer in the mathematics department of the University of Education - Da Nang University (who asked not to be named) said that the fact that the numbers matched several times could be random.

However, it is very unusual for duplicate numbers to occur continuously from period to period.

"There are 100 2-digit numbers, so the probability of each number appearing in each draw is 1/100. The probability of having the same number in 7 draws in the 2-digit prize is 0.1997 (equivalent to 2/10). The probability of having the same number in 10 draws is very rare, possibly lower than 1/1,000,000, which is more difficult than winning the lottery," said this lecturer.

Thua Thien Hue Lottery State-owned Company Limited - Photo: NHAT LINH

Repeated output is abnormal

According to Dr. Cao Tan Binh - Faculty of Mathematics and Statistics, Quy Nhon University, the probability of having the same number in the 2-digit prize in a few rounds can happen. However, if it repeats continuously from one round to another, it is very unusual. Not to mention the results of many rounds of drawing with 15 draws, there are up to 3-4 numbers that appear repeatedly.

Dr. Binh calculated the probability that 15 draws will result in 3 pairs of matching numbers as 0.000.402 (0.0402%).

"The probability that 15 draws will have 4 matching pairs is 0.000.0122 (0.001.22%). This is an extremely rare probability. It is rare and happens a lot, so the calculated probability will be even lower (in 2024 and 2023, at least three times will happen - PV)" - Mr. Binh analyzed.

With every draw having the same number, Dr. Binh calculated that the probability that 9 out of 10 draws will have the same pair of numbers (2 digits) is 0.000.000.000.99 (ie 0.000.000.099% - PV). This result is extremely rare.

"The extremely small probability of 0.000,000,000.99 is more difficult than a person winning the lottery. We can think of some phenomena in nature, economy, and society such as the probability of a large meteorite colliding with Earth in a year causing serious and destructive consequences (usually estimated at an extremely small level)" - Mr. Binh gave an example.

The lottery results have been unusual for a long time, however, when talking to reporters, Mr. Le Trung Phuoc - Director of Thua Thien Hue State Lottery Company - affirmed that there was no fraud in the drawing.

At the same time, it is believed that the drawing was carried out strictly, in compliance with all regulations.

Mr. Phuoc said that for scratch-off lottery tickets, the company's issue period of scratch-off lottery tickets is three months. After three months or all the scratch-off tickets issued are sold out, the company will conduct a drawing and issue a new scratch-off lottery ticket issue period.

Mr. Phuoc also said that the fact that the results of many recent lottery draws often show duplicate numbers is just a coincidence. At the same time, he affirmed that there was no fraud in the drawing.

"We only arranged the winning numbers to be close together on the result sheet to create a visual effect and stimulate the viewer. These numbers are randomly drawn, there is absolutely no cheating here," Mr. Phuoc affirmed.

Why do lottery ticket sellers prefer scratch-off tickets from Thua Thien Hue?

According to Mr. Le Trung Phuoc, the company is currently issuing scratch-off lottery tickets as well as traditional lottery tickets in 14 provinces and cities across the country. The source of money for paying prizes, issuing and collecting profits from scratch-off lottery tickets is taken from the state budget.

According to Tuoi Tre, many lottery ticket sellers choose to buy scratch-off tickets from the Thua Thien Hue State Lottery Company. Ms. NTT (a lottery ticket seller from Quang Nam) said that Thua Thien Hue scratch-off tickets often have matching numbers in the 2-digit prize. In case the buyer has a number that matches this number, they will receive double the prize (the number comes out twice).

However, many people mistakenly think that they only receive the prize once, so usually the ticket seller will benefit when exchanging the winning ticket.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/quy-luat-khac-la-cua-ve-boc-xo-so-thua-thien-hue-2025010608463248.htm