I think you and the OP are talking about two different things. Teams that are going to the Super Bowl are allotted about 4000 tickets each, to be randomly (lottery) made available to their season ticket holders; sounds like that is what you are referring to.
I believe what he is talking about is a lottery for fans to have an opportunity to purchase SB tickets.
NFL Help: Frequently Asked Questions
How can I buy Super Bowl tickets?
The only method the NFL has to distribute tickets to the public is through a random drawing. There is no other way for the general public to purchase tickets. The NFL does not sell tickets to travel or ticket agents.
Entries for the random drawing are accepted between Feb. 1 and June 1 of the year preceding the game in question. All ticket requests must be sent via certified or registered mail. Those selected in the random drawing will have the opportunity to purchase two tickets.
Requests for Super Bowl XLIV, to be played Feb. 7, 2010 in South Florida, will be accepted beginning Feb. 1, 2009. They should be sent to:
Super Bowl Random Drawing
P.O. Box 49140
Strongsville, OH 44149-0140
Please note that only one request per address is accepted. All duplicate requests will be disregarded.
I didn't realize that they bothered to take the time and expense to notify people that they did not win, but apparently they have in the past.