As lotteries continue to draw players from all around the globe, some accuse them of being fixed. Some players claim winning numbers mysteriously disappear from tickets bought throughout the day or that shady activities are taking place behind-the-scenes to prevent paying out large sums of money. One recent controversy involves Laos lottery tickets featuring only numbers depicted as buffalo symbols as signs of good luck for this communist country.
Lotteries have become an integral source of government revenue, but its management is often controversial. Business interests that manage it often have close ties with ruling elite figures and pay an annual license fee; however, this fee remains hidden from government oversight as no controls exist over its operation.
Vientiane lottery ticket seller believes he knows of a company which uses information gleaned from people’s choice of numbers to manipulate results of draws, blocking certain ones altogether or refusing to sell others as desired.
Cheng Saephan of Laos won the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot after eight years of battling cancer and chemotherapy treatments. He plans on taking his lump sum payment and sharing it with his family members – particularly two young children whom he plans on investing his winnings into. He was born into the Iu Mien ethnic group from Phitsanulok province. He plans to invest most of it with them.
Many Laotians have taken to lottery as an easy and reliable means of earning money. The national lottery draws three times weekly, broadcast live for all participants to watch. This ensures they remain on edge until each drawing takes place and compare their tickets against official results.
Prize structures designed to incentivize participation also vary; for instance, some lotteries offered significant payouts when you matched a sequence of numbers correctly. Lotteries played an instrumental role in funding 15 churches throughout Paris during the 18th century!
This talk explores the social, moral, and communicative dimensions of lottery culture in Laos. Linguistic anthropologist Charles (Chip) Zuckerman’s doctoral project focused on gambling in Luang Prabang; during which time he gained insight into lottery’s many forms as a communicative phenomenon that reflect and shape local life.