A Lao immigrant in Oregon who has been battling cancer for eight years will share hundreds of millions of dollars with a friend who chipped in $100 to buy lottery tickets with him. Cheng Saephan, 46, told the state lottery he and his wife, Duanpen, will take half of the $1.3 billion jackpot prize and give the rest to the friend who helped them win it. That friend, Laiza Chao, will get $422 million in the lump sum, or $291 million over 30 years if they choose the annuity option.
The Laos lotto hanoi lotto lottery is a traditional form of gambling that requires participants to choose numbers on a ticket and then check them against the numbers drawn. This unique lottery offers multiple prizes, enhancing the chances of winning compared to lotteries with a single jackpot prize. However, participation in the lottery is only available to individuals 18 years of age or older to ensure responsible gaming practices.
Players are allowed to purchase tickets from authorized retailers and can select their preferred numbers. After selecting a ticket, players receive a printed version that serves as proof of purchase and entry into the draw. They are required to keep the ticket safe as it will be needed in order to claim a prize. Tickets are void if they are stolen, unissued, mutilated or illegible. In addition, a player must present the original ticket to the retailer before the drawing in order to claim a prize.
A government committee overseeing the national lottery has been trying to restore confidence in the game after accusations of shenanigans. Vilasack Phommaluck, an official in the finance ministry who sits on the committee, told RFA that changes have been made to address concerns, including reducing the number of drawings from three to one per week. But he said such measures were unlikely to stop private business interests from manipulating the results.
A Lao official who spoke on condition of anonymity tells RFA that the businesses with stakes in the lottery have ties to members of the country’s ruling elite. He says the companies pay the state for the annual concession, but the public is not informed how much money they receive. He added that the businesses also do not allow inspectors to examine their books. The government should regain control of the lottery, he says.