INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana's state lottery is part of a national lotto group investigating whether a former security director defrauded it of millions of dollars.
Hoosier Lottery officials say they are part of the Multi-State Lottery Association, but that they do not participate in the "Hot Lotto" game at the center of the investigation.
Former Multi-State Lottery Association security director Eddie Tipton is accused of tampering with drawings in four states over a six-year period, according to the Associated Press – who reported Friday the investigation had been expanded nationwide.
Tipton is accused of installing software on lottery computers that pick winning numbers so he could know them in advance. Investigators say he would then pass those numbers along to associates, who would buy winning tickets worth millions of dollars.
He was arrested in July on fraud charges when he tried to claim a $16.5 million jackpot in Iowa himself.
READ MORE | Jackpot-fixing investigation expands to more state lotteries
The Hoosier Lottery released a statement to Call 6 Investigates Friday saying they don't believe any of their games are affected.
“The Hoosier Lottery is committed to offering games with chances to win prizes. At this time, Hoosier Lottery officials have no reason to believe our operations were affected or that any prizes were paid from the Hoosier Lottery to Eddie Tipton or his associates," said Hoosier Lottery Public Relations Director Courtney Arango. "The Hoosier Lottery’s security division is fully cooperating with authorities, and due to the ongoing investigation, it is premature for us to further discuss this matter."
Arango said the only Multi-State Lottery Association games the Hoosier Lottery offers are Powerball and Mega Millions, which are both drawn live on television.
In February, Call 6 Investigates concluded a months-long investigation into frequent Hoosier Lottery winners, and found several whose winning patterns seemed to defy the odds.
CALL 6 | Frequent lottery winners seem to defy the odds, data shows | Indiana's most frequent lottery winners: How'd they do it? | Top 20 luckiest lotto retailers in Indiana
In response, the Lottery and the Indiana State Board of Accounts said they were updating their auditing procedures to look for potential fraud.
CALL 6 | Call 6 investigation prompts Hoosier Lottery changes | State looks at Hoosier Lottery fraud procedures in response to Call 6 investigation
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