Making sure draws are fair

1. How does the Commission make sure National Lottery draws are fair?

The Commission ensures that all draws are fair, random and honest. There are rigorous procedures which govern the way in which National Lottery draws are carried out. Every draw is overseen by an independent adjudicator who confirms that the draw is carried out correctly.

2. Does the Commission attend National Lottery draws?

Yes. Members of the Commission’s Compliance team attend at least one Wednesday Lotto draw, one Saturday Lotto draw and one Daily Play draw each month.

3. Who chooses which draw machines and Ball sets are used for a draw?

The machine and ball set used in each draw are chosen at random on the day of the draw. The selection possibilities are put in envelopes, shuffled and chosen by an independent onlooker.

4. How do I know the draw machines and balls haven’t been tampered with?

In between draws, the draw machines and ball sets are sealed and kept in secure storage. Access to these secure areas is strictly limited. The seals are checked before a set of balls can be used.

5. Are the machines and ball sets checked to make sure they are not biased?

Each set of balls is tested by National Weights and Measures Laboratory at regular intervals. In addition, each draw machine is tested every 6 months to ensure it is working properly and that the ball selections are totally random.

6. Who starts the draws?

A member of Camelot staff called the ‘Drawmaster’ starts the draw. The Drawmaster is responsible for making sure the draw runs properly.

7. Who is the independent adjudicator? What do they do?

The independent adjudicator confirms that the draw is honest and fair. They are responsible for making sure that the draws are carried out in accordance with the rigorous procedures.

8. Are there any numbers that are ‘luckier’ than others?

No, the draw is totally random and each ball has the same chance of being selected. The Commission undertakes independent statistical research to ensure National Lottery draw results show no evidence of non-randomness. Click here to see our research on the randomness of National Lottery draws..

Related Links

• Safeguarding the integrity of Lottery games

  We oversee the procedures used by Camelot to ensure that the integrity of National Lottery games is maintained. We also commission and publish independent research to confirm that there is no evidence of non-randomness in the results of Lottery games.