Student reporters uncover close ties between Florida Lottery winners and the stores where they won

Student journalists at the University of Florida combed through a long list of past Florida Lottery scratch-off winners and found that dozens of them had close ties to the stores where they won.

Here & Now's Scott Tong speaks with recent UF graduate Kairi Lowery about what she and her peers uncovered.

Statement from Florida Lottery:
For more than 30 years, the Florida Lottery has operated with a strong commitment to integrity and transparency, fulfilling its mission to maximize revenues for public education in Florida. Since 1988, the Florida Lottery has contributed more than $50 billion to support education programs across the state, including funding for schools, colleges, and the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

All Florida Lottery games are designed and operated under strict security standards to ensure fairness and randomness. The published odds for each game reflect probabilities based on the game design. As with any lottery, outcomes are random, and each ticket sold has the same chance of being a winner. The Florida Lottery does not track individual player purchasing behavior; however, players who purchase tickets more frequently may experience more wins over time simply due to increased participation.

The Florida Lottery maintains strict oversight measures to monitor retailer activity and investigate potential misconduct. The Division of Security leads the department’s Retailer Integrity Program and operates from district offices statewide to proactively review complaints, conduct investigations, and coordinate with State Attorney’s Offices when prosecution is warranted. The Division also investigates reports of retailer misconduct or potential fraud, and when violations are identified, appropriate administrative, civil, or criminal actions are taken, including arrests, prosecutions, and retailer contract terminations where applicable.

Players or members of the public wishing to report integrity-related concerns, can contact the Florida Lottery’s Integrity and Intelligence Section at integrityandintelligence@flalottery.com. Reports are accepted 24 hours a day, seven days a week and reviewed promptly.

The Florida Lottery remains committed to maintaining secure, fair, and transparent operations in support of its mission to fund education and serve the people of Florida.