A phone number on the back of newly sold Oklahoma lottery tickets directed callers to a phone sex hotline.
The number was also listed on the Oklahoma Lottery Commission ‘s website, and connected callers to “America’s Hottest Talk Line.” The commission said the situation was an “oversight.”
Oklahoma Lottery director Rollo Redburn said, “It was a toll free number that’s no longer owned by us.”
The commission said it was unaware of the situation until a separate issue regarding the phone number was brought to its attention Monday.
Redburn said the commission discontinued the number in June 2010 in order to save money. The old number “survived on a place on the website that was not prominently featured,” according to Tulsa World. The number was then distributed on the backs of lottery tickets. It is believed that old paper with the old number was used to create new tickets.
“They must have had an old roll of paper stock that didn’t get picked up,” Redburn said.
Oklahoma Lottery officials said they regret the mistake and are working to correct it. Redburn said the commission is “making it a priority” to make sure that other locations selling Oklahoma Lottery tickets are not using the old stock.
“We’re going to try to make sure it’s all picked up,” Redburn said. He also said he wasn’t sure how many lottery tickets that included the number have been issued since June 2010. He also didn’t know how many of the tickets were still circulating in the state.
The toll free phone number was taken off the commission’s website Monday.
“I thought I dialed the wrong number … so I got my glasses and I dialed again, and it was an adult phone line,” lottery customer Ladonna Dobbs said.
“It’s not what people want to call,” she added.