Game Show Rigged to Benefit Lori Loughlin's Daughter?

[Matt Ottinger]

A bizarre side story to this college admissions scandal has surfaced.  It's possible there's more to it than what's being reported.  There's a chance that there's a genuine reason why the producers thought they made a mistake and had to redo the end of the show so that the correct player was actually declared the winner.  But man, if it's true, this is more than rigged, it's pro-wrestling grade scripted.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6809589/Lori-Loughlins-daughter-second-cheating-scandal-alleged-rigged-contest.html

The kicker for us is that the host of this game was Emogenius' Hunter March, the grandson of Hal March, the host of the notoriously rigged The $64,000 Question.

[SamJ93]

The article was rather confusing to read, and the Daily Mail being what it is, I wouldn't be surprised if this was over-sensationalized. Nonetheless, we may be at the same watershed moment as we were in 1958, where the laws aren't keeping up with the relentless pace of technology.

[Matt Ottinger]

I am disappoint.

And I am embarrass.  It's now corrected.

The article was rather confusing to read, and the Daily Mail being what it is, I wouldn't be surprised if this was over-sensationalized. Nonetheless, we may be at the same watershed moment as we were in 1958, where the laws aren't keeping up with the relentless pace of technology.

I think we're definitely past that point, but the difference is that in this wildly splintered modern entertainment world, there isn't a great hue and cry from the masses of middle America to do anything about it.  The modern descendant of the traditional game show is the live trivia app, and while many of them appear to operate legitimately, they all make up their own rules and there's no oversight.  I was kicked out of a game one question before I would have won three thousand dollars, simply because they didn't want me to win.  Others have similar stories,  Still others have won hundreds, even thousands of dollars legitimately, but haven't gotten their winnings for whatever arbitrary reason an app has for not paying.  And there's no recourse.  So yeah, the cute little rules that were written for a three-network Eisenhower-era universe really don't relate to what's going on today.

[tyshaun1]

It seems that based on the article, none of the 3 were getting the actual winnings, only the charity donation. If they re-shot it with only 1 different ending and aired that one, it's unethical, but no violation.

Tyshaun

[JakeT]

I am disappoint.

And I am embarrass.  It's now corrected.

It's like two golden retrievers having a conversation...

JakeT

[Joe Mello]

Still others have won hundreds, even thousands of dollars legitimately, but haven't gotten their winnings for whatever arbitrary reason an app has for not paying.

I thought of a few reasons why that could be, from most to least okay (imo, ymmv, etc).

1. A high frequency of small withdrawals could raise a red flag for the bank and/or the bodies that regulate it.
2. A high frequency of small withdrawals would be too expensive for the show (not unlike a business having minimum purchase for credit card swipes).
3. The account that houses these funds are not always solvent 24/7.
4. The company hopes some of the winners forget to cash out, thus recouping some of their prize money.

[clemon79]

These are businesses. NONE OF THOSE ARE EVEN A LITTLE OK.

[Neumms]

Does one pay to play the trivia apps? If so, that’s quite some fraud they have going. If they’re free, it sounds like fraud anyway.

The Olivia Jade thing just sounds stupid, and pretty dang funny if Loughlin were involved, as if a strong performance on “Tap That App!” would convince a jury the lass is worthy of USC. Otherwise a do-over on a charity game on a failed platform doesn’t sound like the tip of an iceberg.
 
This thing does make me wonder if her mother ever did Bergeron Squares, and if so, did she refuse to bluff, instead demanding onlycorrect answers? If she didn’t do Squares, of course, maybe that was why.

[BrandonFG]

Does one pay to play the trivia apps? If so, that’s quite some fraud they have going. If they’re free, it sounds like fraud anyway.

No, but some games offer the chance to buy an "extra life", basically an insurance marker if you choose the wrong answer.

[TLEberle]

I was going to joke that "she probably also cheats at Learned League," just to round the bases.

I think what surprises me most is that in this fractured media landscape that this was the first time I had heard of the show. Even if they don't have Compliance and Practices on hand, it seems like the kind of thing that would go public when the show was released to the app (again, also, did not know that there were apps where you could watch telecom-specific apps). Wouldn't the wronged parties go public more or less instantly after the fact?