Live lottery audiences often same older folks
By Xu Chi |
July 14, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA Sports Lottery officials said elderly people found to be repeatedly attending live lottery drawings are motivated to attend by small gifts and free lottery tickets awarded to audience members.
The response followed doubts about the lottery's transparency raised by web users who found most of the audience for lottery drawings for more than eight consecutive days were the same group of senior citizens.
Lottery officials claimed the drawing is broadcast live each day. Web users found videos on the lottery website showing some seniors in the audience were dressed in the same clothes every day. The only difference was that they changed seats, said a netizen, "Huaihuai," at the popular Tianya.cn forum. The Internet user uploaded screen shots showing the same people in the audience for different drawings. The post had been viewed over 31,000 times by yesterday.
"Why are elderly people on the program every day? Are they really lottery fans or just actors?" asked a commenter.
"I was deeply touched by one of the old men. He hasn't changed his clothes for almost a week on such hot days! Has he just spent too much on buying lottery tickets?" asked Huaihuai.
Some Internet users wondered whether the drawings are all recorded in one day.
In response, lottery officials in Beijing told The Beijing News that the people volunteered to attend the daily lottery program as audience members.
An unidentified official told the newspaper that they don't have many restrictions on the audience, so some people would repeatedly attend to get free lottery tickets and gifts.
"We would dispatch two or three lottery tickets to encourage the audience to come. Maybe that's what attracted the elderly people," said the official. About 30 to 40 people apply every day and most are lottery fans living nearby, the official said. He denied they were actors.
One of the elderly men often seen in the videos said he has attended more than 80 drawings with his wife.
The man, surnamed Pan, has been seen in a blue shirt for over eight consecutive days in the videos, and he was spotted dressed in the same clothes on Thursday evening, the newspaper said. Pan said he and his wife are such lottery lovers that they repeatedly attend to collect lottery tickets with special patterns.
The response followed doubts about the lottery's transparency raised by web users who found most of the audience for lottery drawings for more than eight consecutive days were the same group of senior citizens.
Lottery officials claimed the drawing is broadcast live each day. Web users found videos on the lottery website showing some seniors in the audience were dressed in the same clothes every day. The only difference was that they changed seats, said a netizen, "Huaihuai," at the popular Tianya.cn forum. The Internet user uploaded screen shots showing the same people in the audience for different drawings. The post had been viewed over 31,000 times by yesterday.
"Why are elderly people on the program every day? Are they really lottery fans or just actors?" asked a commenter.
"I was deeply touched by one of the old men. He hasn't changed his clothes for almost a week on such hot days! Has he just spent too much on buying lottery tickets?" asked Huaihuai.
Some Internet users wondered whether the drawings are all recorded in one day.
In response, lottery officials in Beijing told The Beijing News that the people volunteered to attend the daily lottery program as audience members.
An unidentified official told the newspaper that they don't have many restrictions on the audience, so some people would repeatedly attend to get free lottery tickets and gifts.
"We would dispatch two or three lottery tickets to encourage the audience to come. Maybe that's what attracted the elderly people," said the official. About 30 to 40 people apply every day and most are lottery fans living nearby, the official said. He denied they were actors.
One of the elderly men often seen in the videos said he has attended more than 80 drawings with his wife.
The man, surnamed Pan, has been seen in a blue shirt for over eight consecutive days in the videos, and he was spotted dressed in the same clothes on Thursday evening, the newspaper said. Pan said he and his wife are such lottery lovers that they repeatedly attend to collect lottery tickets with special patterns.
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