MIT Students gamed the Mass State Lottery.

A group of MIT students gamed the Massacusetts lottery. They figured out a way to "guarantee" success. The lottery officials knew about it and even installed extra machines for the students to use.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/c...-1.1128482

yet another government run program that PROVES, the gov is always better than private industry!

Quote from travfar : A group of MIT students gamed the Massacusetts lottery. They figured out a way to "guarantee" success. The lottery officials knew about it and even installed extra machines for the students to use. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/c...-1.1128482

Should've broken their fingers off as any respectable private casino would.

Grossman added ""Revenues were tremendous and the lottery benefited, but there were practices that were not appropriate and things done that were not right."

Gee... ya think? ; )

Notably absent in that story is any mention of resignations or disciplinary actions.

Personally I'm more surprised that some members here are apparently finding out for the first time that greedy people do exist, and that government employees are in fact people.

As for disciplinary actions, they're obviously already over the statute of monetary limitations of prosecuted crimes. Eg. wall st.

Quote from agent00f : Personally I'm more surprised that some members here are apparently finding out for the first time that greedy people do exist, and that government employees are in fact people. As for disciplinary actions, they're obviously already over the statute of monetary limitations of prosecuted crimes. Eg. wall st.

They're not over getting fired for running what amounted to a rigged game. I don't blame the players for working the odds that existed in their favor, but the folks who knowingly let them get away with it, even facilitating it, and then hid the fact for 10 years should be canned at minimum. Can't have the state effectively colluding with some players and running their lottery as a con game. lol

Quote from Mike A. : They're not over getting fired for running what amounted to a rigged game. I don't blame the players for working the odds that existed in their favor, but the folks who knowingly let them get away with it, even facilitating it, and then hid the fact for 10 years should be canned at minimum. Can't have the state effectively colluding with some players and running their lottery as a con game. lol

I don't think I understand this logic. People who burglarize a business shouldn't be punished, and only the apathetic employees who looked the other way should? Oh but wait, they're gubermint employees. I think I get it now.

Quote from agent00f : I don't think I understand this logic. People who burglarize a business shouldn't be punished, and only the apathetic employees who looked the other way should? Oh but wait, they're gubermint employees. I think I get it now.

what law did they break?

Quote from SigX : yet another government run program that PROVES, the gov is always better than private industry!

The government is always better at spending other peoples money.

Nancy Pelosi, George W. Bush, Harry Reid, Barack Obama, etc... all multi-millionaires many times over, all regularly voted for and approved deficit spending not by a little bit, but by a lot. But, it doesn't matter, the public debt is not their money, it's someone elses money.

Quote from agent00f : I don't think I understand this logic. People who burglarize a business shouldn't be punished, and only the apathetic employees who looked the other way should? Oh but wait, they're gubermint employees. I think I get it now.

The players were playing the game as designed and provided.

Those running the game were aware of the flaw in design which created an inherent unfairness in the game. They didn't fix it. They didn't provide fair notice to other players. They facilitated the advantage of certain players. And they benefited by deceiving other unknowing players who served as the 'chumps' funding the winnings of the players and the net proceeds to the state.

Likely could go after the players too on the basis of collusion or conspiracy to defraud or bribery or something along those lines if there was some pay-off or other benefit provided to government officials but lacking that doesn't appear that what they did was illegal per se.

Quote from SigX : what law did they break?

Probably some kind of conspiracy to defraud. Do you really want your position to be based on some legal technicality?

Quote from Hawk2007 : I agree, don't Mike. Basically, you're a hateful bigot if you have a differing opinion.

Yeah, but I'm an old dude and secure in my 'hateful bigotry' at this point so that kinda stuff doesn't affect me much. Water off a hateful bigoted duck's back. lol ; )

Quote from Mike A. : The players were playing the game as designed and provided. Those running the game were aware of the flaw in design which created an inherent unfairness in the game. They didn't fix it. They didn't provide fair notice to other players. They facilitated the advantage of certain players. And they benefited by deceiving other unknowing players who served as the 'chumps' funding the winnings of the players and the net proceeds to the state. Likely could go after the players too on the basis of collusion or conspiracy to defraud or bribery or something along those lines if there was some pay-off or other benefit provided to government officials but lacking that doesn't appear that what they did was illegal per se.

Sure, I'd buy that if we agree to apply these same standards to the financial markets. Oh wait, that's regulation. Nevermind, my bad, forgot we only apply "principles" to gubermint employees, socialists, or the gays here.

Quote from agent00f : Sure, I'd buy that if we agree to apply these same standards to the financial markets. Oh wait, that's regulation. Nevermind, my bad, forgot we only apply "principles" to gubermint employees, socialists, or the gays here.

Focus man. Focus...

Take two of these and calls us in the morning:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubme...MH0000166/