Lucky No. 39 is just a fluke, bank says

There's something special about the number 39.

A Thai couple who hit the jackpot in the nation's computerized lottery last week noticed the number came up often in previous draws.

In last night's draw -- in which one lucky winner won NT$268.8 million (US$7.7 million), 39 was lucky again, the fifth time out of seven draws of the computerized lottery.

But the frequency of the number has led some to question whether there's more than just luck at work. To quell skepticism that the lottery might be unfair or rigged, TaipeiBank officials yesterday publicly weighed the balls used in the lotto drawing.

Bank officials weighed each of the balls carrying a double-digit number, ensuring that all were of the same weight.

In addition, TaipeiBank weighed No. 39 for the lotto's six sets of balls and three spare sets. They found that No. 39 balls were all of the same weight.

Richard Yang (楊瑞東), vice president and general manager of TaipeiBank's lottery department, said it was within the realm of probability for a specific number to come up lucky several times.

Yang noted that after 39, the number 29 has been the second most frequent, appearing four times in drawings.

No. 39 doesn't come up in every draw. Accountant Lu Chi-yen (盧奇衍), an independent auditor hired by the bank to oversee the lottery's drawings, said that 39 hardly ever came up during rehearsal draws.

The accountant also noted it's common in US lotteries for a specific number to come up a winner five or six times in a row.

The TaipeiBank began operations of the computerized lottery last month.