As the nation gears up for the highly anticipated $150 million Powerball draw 1445 on Thursday, Australians have been offered a rare look inside the precise and methodical world of lottery draws. This historic jackpot, set to potentially alter the lives of many Australian families on January 25, 2024, is the second-largest ever in the country's lottery history.
At the core of the lottery's operation are the officials and government regulators, including the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR). Their role is crucial in ensuring each Powerball draw's integrity and fairness. Abiding by strict protocols, these professionals uphold the utmost standards of transparency for every draw.
The $150 million Powerball draw, hosted at Channel Seven studios in Mount Coot-Tha, promises an evening filled with suspense, excitement, and the potential to transform the lives of Aussie players.
Head of Draw Conduct at The Lott, Geoff Hackney, emphasised the importance of maintaining the highest standards of transparency and fairness in lottery draws.
“The thrill of not knowing whose life we might change is what makes our job truly special. The studio is always abuzz as the balls tumble in each draw,” he said.
“Our team works closely with government regulators who are responsible for providing supervised access to the draw equipment, which is locked away between each draws.
“By working with government regulators, we can ensure the security of all draw equipment, including ball drawing devices, the correct game configurations, and ball sets that are used prior to each draw.
“A lot of people might not know this, but each lottery ball used in the draw is subject to rigorous testing at the National Measurement Institute and undergoes regular washing and weighing to ensure each one is fit for task.
“The lottery balls must weigh within the same small range, and we’re provided a report by the Institute that confirms the weight of each ball to within one-thousandth of a gram.
“While $150 million in Powerball would allow me to fulfil my dreams of owning a boat, we are also prohibited from purchasing tickets or participating in any of the draws to uphold draw integrity.”
Once the draw equipment is sealed and wheeled back into the high-security areas under the supervision of government regulators, lottery officials back at The Lott headquarters wait with bated breath.
The Lott spokesperson Anna Hobdell said ringing ordinary Australians with life-changing news is her favourite part of the job, and she can’t wait to hopefully do it again on Thursday night.
“In 2019, a Sydney nurse became Australia’s current biggest individual lottery winner when she won more than $107 million. We spoke to her minutes after the winning numbers were drawn – will we be speaking to a new record holder this Thursday night?” she said.
“If we have a division one winner or winners in Thursday night’s $150 million Powerball draw, we’ll be wanting to let them know straight after the draw. They may not need to head into work on Friday – or ever again!
“We encourage Aussies to not only get in early to purchase their entries, but also register their entries to a player card or online account. That way, we can call them straight after the draw should they win a slice of the life-changing prize.”
