Prosecutor's Office Investigates Serbia's State Lottery Over Controversial Lotto Number Draw

The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade has ordered the police to collect necessary information and notifications in order to determine all facts and possible criminal responsibility regarding the drawing of numbers in the Lotto game of the State Lottery of Serbia, which was broadcast live on television Prva, said Republic Public Prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac, as reported by Blic.rs, Patria agency reports.

Dolovac emphasized that the Prosecutor's Office is determined to thoroughly investigate the entire case and stated that all those responsible will be prosecuted regardless of the function they perform and the position they hold.

- Since it is the State Lottery of Serbia, we are fully aware that this case has caused widespread concern among citizens, so we will inform the public about all investigation results in a timely manner - Dolovac said.

Last night's Lotto number draw raised great suspicion among citizens that everything was rigged, media report. Namely, the fifth number of the combination first appeared on the screen, and only then was the ball with that number drawn from the drum.

Suspicion arose after the seemingly regular drawing of the first three numbers 4, 33, 12, when it came to the fourth number, i.e., the fourth ball with the number 27 was drawn from the drum, but the number 21 first appeared on the screen, followed immediately by 27 as the fifth number.

The screen also showed the number of winners even though the fifth ball had not yet been officially drawn.

The State Lottery of Serbia announced that during the drawing of the Lotto 7 out of 39 game, in the 59th round on July 28, a technical error caused by human factor occurred, i.e., a mistake by the operator engaged in the drawing, as the number 21 was mistakenly displayed on the screen.

The Lottery stated that it regrets the error that occurred during the drawing in the 59th round and added that, in addition to all procedures for determining regularity during and immediately after the drawing, which have already been carried out, it will investigate the circumstances that led to the error, i.e., the oversight that occurred.