Singapore
Singapore
File photo of a mobile phone user. (Photo: Xabryna Kek)
SINGAPORE: Singapore Pools’ phone 4D Quick Pick, Quick Pick Roll bets and some iTOTO bets have been hit by software errors that went on for at least a year, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday (Jan 31).
MHA said it is investigating after Singapore Pools had informed the ministry of an error affecting 4D Quick Pick and Quick Pick Roll bets placed via telephone between Oct 2, 2018 and Dec 20, 2019.
Over this period, the system excluded the numbers 0 and 9 when generating numbers for customers who placed these bets via telephone.
In addition, the system only generated unique digits for 4D Quick Pick Roll bets placed via telephone for more than three years, between Oct 25, 2016 and Jan 22, 2020.
MHA said this was “not the intended logic of the Quick Pick System”, in that it should have allowed digits to be repeated.
The same error also affected 4D Quick Pick bets placed over the telephone between Oct 2, 2018 and Jan 22, 2020.
SOME ITOTO BETS AFFECTED
Earlier this month, Singapore Pools reported software glitches that affected Toto Quick Pick numbers purchased through remote platforms between Oct 2, 2018 and Dec 21, 2019.
The error resulted in the system excluding the number 49 and selecting numbers from 1 to 48 only, MHA had said.
On Friday, MHA said the earlier software error has also affected the generation of some iTOTO numbers purchase via remote platforms and retail outlets between Oct 2, 2018 and Dec 20, 2019.
That meant the system excluded the number 49 from some iTOTO bets, MHA added.
The ministry said Singapore Pools has since rectified both these errors.
“MHA takes a serious view of the errors and is currently investigating them,” it said in a press release.
“MHA has directed SPPL to take all necessary measures to ensure the integrity of its betting system, and prevent any recurrence,” the ministry added.
The Tote Board, a statutory board of the Ministry of Finance, said Singapore Pools had conducted reviews of its random number generators and uncovered that the earlier software glitches had also affected the iTOTO, 4D Quick Pick and Quick Pick Roll bets.
“Tote Board has set up a Review Panel to review the causes of the glitches, how they were managed and consider measures to be put in place to prevent future recurrence,” it said in a media release.
A very small percentage of 4D and Toto sales were affected by the glitches, according to Singapore Pools.
REFUNDS & SPECIAL DRAW
Singapore Pools said it will refund customers who were affected by the software glitch through their Singapore Pools account by Saturday.
“All affected Toto customers are being refunded for their bets placed online for the 14 draws where the number 49 was drawn as a winning number,” Singapore Pools added in a press release on its website.
“In addition, as a token of appreciation, affected customers with prize winnings in the 14 draws will receive an additional 50 per cent on top of their claimed prize winnings, while customers with no winnings will receive a S$5 token each.”
As a gesture of goodwill, Singapore Pools said it will make a one-time contribution of more than S$500,000 to the fixed payouts of for Groups 5, 6 and 7 winners for an upcoming Toto draw in Feb 2020.
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