Lottery games are a popular form of gambling, and there are many different ways to play them. Generally, they involve buying tickets for a drawing in which a winner is chosen. Depending on the game, winners can be given cash or goods. Some are played online, and others are not. The popularity of these games has led to some confusion about their legality. Some countries have strict regulations about the type of lottery games that can be played, while others have looser rules.
Lotteries can be operated by state or provincial governments, or privately run. The New Zealand government operates the national lottery through an autonomous Crown entity, Lotto New Zealand. The entity’s profits are distributed by the Lottery Grants Board to a variety of community and sport organizations. These include Sport and Recreation New Zealand, Creative New Zealand, and the National Film Commission.
In the United States, large portions of lottery proceeds are used for public education. Other funds are used for health and social services. Some states allow winners to keep their names private, while others do not. The latter policy has led to a rise in lottery-style games that do not require ticket purchasing, such as instant-win games. Lottery games may also be marketed as gambling, but are not considered to be so by the US federal government.
The first online lottery was operated by a foundation based in Liechtenstein. It launched the world’s first Internet lottery, PLUS Lotto, in 1995 and processed the first online gaming transaction. Since then, the foundation has expanded its operations and now manages a series of websites known as the iLottery family. The foundation has also supported charitable projects and organizations domestically and internationally.
During his visit to Laos earlier this year, a member of the National Assembly (NA) said that the NA would examine the issue of whether the state lottery should be privatized or not. The NA has a special commission in charge of reviewing state-owned enterprises including the lottery.
Lottery officials in the communist country of Laos have been accused of rigging their drawings to favor certain numbers and cheating customers. The government has not taken action against the alleged crooks, but the NA is considering its options.
Charles (Chip) Zuckerman is a linguist and anthropologist who studies Laos. His doctoral research in Luang Prabang explored gender and the moral dimensions of gambling in that city. His post-doctoral research, supervised by Nick Enfield at the University of Sydney, explores linguistic and cultural diversity in the Nakai-Nam Theun Protected Area. He is currently finishing his book on the topic. This talk will briefly trace the political, economic and moral history of Lao lotteries since 1975 and consider what they might reveal about the mechanics of state enterprise in the country. It will be followed by a short discussion of the many things that playing, choosing, and winning the lottery means to people on the ground in Luang Prabang.