How to Launder Money

This is a great article on "everyday" statistics. You have to read through nearly to the end to get to the "math" around money laundering: $0.53 on the $1.00 is the basic return ratio, according to this article, which is not too bad a return, all things considered. More interesting are the statistical anomalies around multiple winners. I always try to think of the low tech angle, and it strikes me that there may be a simpler way to increase your return: simply buy known winning tickets (ones that are already scratched) from people at a premium that is better than the $0.53. Seems too obvious....but I wonder if the FBI has checked Craigslist for ads offering to "buy winning lottery tickets at more than face value".

http://www.lotterypost.com/news/227079/1940460

I have to do some searching for why this "single instance" algorithm works; it is not immediately obvious.

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Todd G. Simpson

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