TheGameGrl says:
"There is a reason that skepticism exist, it keeps some folks grounded. Its plausible to conceive and venture on the realm of possibilities."
I agree.
Public skepticism is probably the most powerful deterrent to corruption in the "Big Games" but, unless they move these drawings to Indiana, we shouldn't worry about it too much.
While the initial scenario outlined by NoCompLotto is certainly possible, given the right circumstances, I don't think he's (my apologies if my assumption is incorrect) suggesting it's happening now. Rather, he's asking how his fellow members would feel about a PowerBall or MegaMillions drawing taped well in advance of the actual game time. To my knowledge, both games still use mechanical draw machines, but if the current propensity toward digital lotteries continues to grow unabated, the situation really isn't that far-fetched. I'm aware that an RNG isn't requisite to the script, but it would certainly make the crime that much easier to pull off.
I think Todd's reference provides the perfect comparison. For those of you who aren't familiar with the 1978 movie, Capricorn One, here's a brief synopsis from IMDb's website:
"Classic conspiracy tale about the first manned mission to Mars. All appears to be going well until the astronauts are pulled off the ship just before launch by shadowy government types and whisked off to a film studio in the desert. It transpires that the space vehicle has a major defect which NASA just daren't admit. At the studio, over a course of months, the astronauts are forced to act out the journey and the landing to trick the world into believing they have made the trip. Meanwhile, a journalist (played by [Elliot] Gould) is getting suspicious and every clue he uncovers seems to result in an attempt on his life! The astronauts are just about to splashdown when a further twist to the tale occurs, leaving them with no choice but to try and escape..."
Generally speaking, criminals are an odd lot - prior to and during the commission of any illegal act, the notion farthest from their minds is being found out; they just can't imagine that possibility, or they simply rationalize that their plan is so clever, it doesn't seem plausible that they won't get away with it.
This is not to say that no crime goes unsolved but, more often than not, the common perpetrator comes to realize that hindsight is 20/20 only after he's being fitted for handcuffs.
Greed is a very powerful motivator; for those who find themselves caught in its grasp, "enough" is an unfamiliar concept. If they get away with it once, it stands to reason they can do it again. And again, and again and... Unless one or more members of the conspiracy stiffs one of the others, there is very little danger of being found out.