And finally…Serbian lottery organisers drop the ball

lottery-numbers-1338354713The head of the state lottery in Serbia has been forced to resign after a winning number appeared on TV coverage of a live draw before the ball had been selected.

Aleksandr Vulovic said he was leaving the post out of “moral obligation” after winning ball “21” was displayed on the screen before it had been “randomly” picked from the machine.

Lottery officials claimed it was a technical error and no one won the $1.09 million jackpot.

In a written statement, the state lottery said: “The draw was completely in accordance with the rules and the company abides by the law.”



Police have taken the machine, software and balls for inspection, while employees will be subjected to lie detector tests.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandr Vucic said those involved in rigging the lottery would be “brought to justice”, adding: “The path to prison is very short”.

The lottery is very popular in Serbia, particularly with the unemployed.

Share icon
Share this article: