Arizona lotto pulls machine because of duplicate numbers

PHOENIX — The Arizona Lottery has taken a second number-selecting machine out of operation because it recently chose duplicate numbers. The most recent incident involved the same numbers chosen for an in-state game three times over seven days.

Winning tickets will still be honored but refunds or exchanges are being offered for losing tickets for the Pick 3 game played between Nov. 15 and Nov. 21, when the numbers 8-04 were chosen three times, the lottery said in a statement released Wednesday.

The incident is the second time in two months that the lottery has had an issue with one of the machines.

The lottery said it will start using the Multi-State Lottery Association’s machine for Arizona’s in-state games until the lottery receives new machines ordered in August.

The multi-state group’s machine uses rubber balls to select numbers. The machines taken out of operation by Arizona randomly generated numbers.

The previous incident occurred over six days spanning late September and early October and involved numbers that another machine chose for several in-state games.

The lottery’s statement said it is investigating the machines and those results will be made public.

“Within the odds structure of the Pick 3 game, numbers can and do duplicate,” the statement said.