The winning ticket for the Oregon Powerball lottery was sold at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in early April. The winner will receive a lump sum of more than $621 million. It’s the fourth-largest prize in the game’s history. The winner will also have to pay federal and state taxes.

The lottery is a popular pastime in the United States and other countries around the world. In many cases, the proceeds from a lottery are used to fund public services or projects. The largest lotteries are run by state governments. Other lotteries are operated by private companies. The prize money for a win can be used to support health programs, education, infrastructure, and other social services. The jackpot for a Powerball lottery win can be life-changing for the winner and their family.

Some people are suspicious of the lottery, however. A lottery salesman told RFA’s Lao Service that the company that runs the game knows which numbers players choose, allowing it to manipulate the results. He said he was aware that the number 509 had disappeared from some tickets after the drawing in September, and that he had seen other irregularities in previous drawings.

A Laotian immigrant in Portland will share hundreds of millions of dollars with a friend after winning the state’s Powerball lottery. Forty-six-year-old Cheng Saephan and his wife Duanpen plan to take half the prize money, while giving the other half to a friend, who has battled cancer for eight years. Saephan, who is from Vientiane, credited his victory to luck and hard work.

In the past, lottery games in Laos were often rigged by corrupt government officials. In a bid to re-establish trust in the lottery, the Finance Ministry established a committee to oversee the game. Vilasack Phommaluck, a ministry official who serves on the committee, tells RFA that some changes have already been made to respond to earlier complaints. He says reducing the frequency of the lottery’s drawing to one time per week may help restore confidence in the game. The committee is also considering other possible measures to prevent shenanigans.