Lottery games have become commonplace in many countries and are a popular source of entertainment. Some lotteries are government sponsored and regulated while others are privately operated. The most prominent example is the Powerball lottery, which has grown to be one of the world’s largest. In addition to the traditional lottery games, there are also a number of online versions available. Some of these sites offer free lottery-style games while others charge premiums on the base price of a ticket.
Lotteries have a long history in New Zealand. The first national lottery was the Irish Sweepstakes, which was legalized in 1967. This was done as part of an Omnibus Bill, which brought up-to-date a series of outdated laws. The new law allowed provincial governments to run lottery systems, but federal control was retained.
The New Zealand Lottery Grants Board is responsible for distributing the proceeds of lotteries to charitable and community organizations. The grants are based on the number of tickets sold and how much money is won. Some of the organizations that receive the funds include Sport and Recreation New Zealand, Creative New Zealand and the Film Commission. The New Zealand Lottery operates four different games: the New Zealand Lotto, Keno, Bullseye and Instant Kiwi. In addition, the company distributes lottery scratch cards.
Laos is a communist country, but the state-run lottery has a reputation for being rigged. Observers say winning numbers often disappear from purchased tickets or appear as random numbers that are unlikely to be chosen. For instance, the winning number 509 in the October 14 drawing did not appear as such on any tickets purchased throughout the day of the drawing. This is an issue that is not unique to the lottery and has plagued most state-run games.
Charles Zuckerman is a linguistic anthropologist who studies Laos. His doctoral dissertation explored gender and the moral dimensions of gambling in Luang Prabang. He has also conducted ethnographic research on state enterprises in Laos and is working on a book about his findings. This talk will explore what lotteries mean in Laos today and how they might shed light on the mechanics of the communist regime’s economic development goals.