The Hanoi Lotto is a national lottery game in Vietnam. Each year it generates millions in revenue to support social causes and infrastructure development projects as well as bring people together while creating employment for hundreds of lottery retailers and operators. Unfortunately, however, its dark side lies within as some become addicted and end up with debt issues due to gambling addiction.
In the final years of the Vietnam War, lottery drawings were established as a means for soldiers to win substantial sums of money and avoid returning home to poverty and discrimination. Every two weeks in Hanoi’s capital city of Hanoi a lottery draw takes place from 8 am to 4 pm at kiosks and street corners with winners announced at 4:30 p.m.
Lottery winners in Vietnam often buy new homes, cars and yachts to mark their winnings and celebrate with family. Many choose 5/8/13/23/242 as lucky numbers – these numbers tend to win big jackpots! The most popular numbers used as lucky digits include 5, 8, 13/14, 23/223.
A lottery ticket is a small slip of paper printed with winning numbers and an image of a golden dragon, costing 10,000 dong or about 50 US cents each time it is purchased. Computerized selection processes randomly select these winning numbers before being announced at live television broadcasts on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings.
Most people in Vietnam lack any other source of income, making selling lottery tickets an indispensable and reliable means of supplementing income. Tickets are sold by peddlers who travel around in search of customers; sometimes children who cannot afford school have found success selling lottery tickets instead of beggary or theft; in fact, local social workers encourage these youngsters to choose selling lottery tickets as opposed to begging or theft as their means of livelihood.
Peddlers make an honest living selling lottery tickets at affordable prices. A typical customer purchases one or more tickets with numbers they believe may be lucky for 10,000 dong each. Tickets already preprinted represent specific provinces; their colors represent prizes.
Some lottery ticket peddlers also provide other services, including haircuts or beauty treatments for a small fee, snacks or cigarettes sales and transportation into the city centre for their customers.
Lotteries are a beloved Vietnamese pastime, yet playing them can have serious repercussions for players. Some can lose control over their finances and slip into debt; others find they cannot stop; still others become addicted and suffer severe health consequences from gambling addiction. To prevent these issues from arising, it’s crucial that players learn how to play responsibly – it may even be wiser to consult an expert gambling advisor prior to starting to gamble.