It Takes 2 Tries to Get Lotto Numbers Drawn

It wasn’t just the $38-million jackpot that made millions of California Lotto players hold their breath Wednesday night when the televised drawing of the six winning numbers began.

It was also the fact that--for the first time in the game’s 22-month history--the machine that randomly spits out numbered balls quit working, forcing a half hour delay and producing moans of agony throughout the state.

The trouble at the 7:58 p.m. drawing in Sacramento began as soon as the drawing announcer called out the night’s first winning number, 33, only to quickly say that the machine was malfunctioning. Lottery officials, saying they were following written policy, declared the game invalid.

“The machine just jammed,” lottery spokesman Bob Taylor said.

A backup machine, which officials said is routinely kept for such emergencies, was used to draw another set of numbers. They were: 25, 14, 19, 46, 41 and--improbably, but to the relief of those grief-stricken souls who had gambled on 33, only to see it invalidated the first time--33 once again.

A bonus number of 37, which increases prizes for those who have selected five winning numbers, was also drawn.

Second Delay

Southern California lottery players suffered through a second delay. KTTV, the station that regularly televises the drawings live, did not show the second drawing live at 8:30 p.m. It waited until 8:45 to broadcast a tape. Station officials did not respond to inquiries about their decision.

More cynical players were angered by the evening’s developments, complaining that the drawing announcer had called “33” on the first drawing even though no ball could be seen rolling out of the machine. A lottery official responded that the 33 ball had indeed fallen but had dropped out of television camera range.

Equally suspicious, groused Robert Shoulders of Norwalk, who said he had spent $5 for tickets that produced only two winning numbers, was the fact that 33 came up during the second drawing.

“Do you ever feel coincidence is more than coincidence?” Shoulders asked.

Lottery Computer

The California Lottery computer is expected to determine today how many, if any, tickets hit all six numbers.

If no one claims the jackpot, it will roll over into Saturday’s jackpot pool, virtually guaranteeing that the North American record of $51.4 million--set in an earlier California Lotto game--will be broken.

Wednesday’s jackpot swelled when $28.6 million worth of tickets were sold during the day, the most ever on a Wednesday.

The snowballing sales, first dubbed “Lottomania” when it occurred in other states, began when nobody won last Saturday’s $20-million prize. LOTTERY WINNERS 8/24

Jackpot Lotto winners are selected each Wednesday and Saturday night. Ticket holders are eligible for a prize that varies according to the amount bet last week. If no one wins, the total is automatically added to Saturday night’s prize.

Winning Nos. 25-14-19-33-46-41

Jackpot pool $38 million

Holders of tickets with five of six winning jackpot numbers plus a “bonus number” are eligible for a smaller prize.

The bonus number: 37

Lotto information (at 25 a call):

976-4275 (English)

976-5275 (Spanish / Chinese)