The lottery is a culturally unifying experience in Thailand, even for those who don’t win. It’s a revenue generator for organizers, a source of entertainment and even an economic stimulus, with winners injecting their windfall back into the economy. It’s also a crucible for superstition and imagination, with lottery players connecting their numbers to fate, the cosmos and each other. The number game is a microcosm of the larger religious, political and economic forces that bind Thai society together.

The government lottery (Thai: slaakkinacak) is the primary form of legal gambling in Thailand, and it’s an integral part of the country’s culture. On the first and sixteenth of every month, lottery drawings are broadcast on TV, and hordes of hopefuls watch in earnest with tickets clutched tightly. Unlike most other forms of gambling, the lottery is only available for purchase within Thailand. Foreigners have been known to buy tickets while visiting the country, but they can’t legally play the lottery unless they reside in the country permanently.

Lottery tickets are pre-printed and include a variety of anti-counterfeiting features, so they are not readily available in the black market. They are sold in ticket pairs for 80 baht and each individual ticket allows the holder to potentially claim one of two 3 million baht grand prizes. However, there is also an extensive underground lottery system that is largely regulated by the GLO but operates outside of government channels. Nidhi estimates the underground lottery is four to five times larger than the official government lottery, but it’s difficult to determine how many people actually participate in this back-alley operation.

Despite the skepticism of many Westerners, there is no doubt that the lottery has become a significant source of income for millions of Thais. While some wealthy Thais do play the lottery, the majority of participants are middle- or lower-income citizens. A study published in the International Gambling Studies journal found that nearly two-thirds of people who regularly play the lottery live below the poverty line.

Bom’s elaborate strategy for selecting lottery numbers is a window into some of the deeper beliefs that underlie lottery culture in Thailand. With a conspiratorial smile, he presents his results: a set of numbers that he’s chosen to play with this week.

While Bom’s method may seem random to outsiders, it is an essential part of his lottery ritual. He isn’t alone, either; millions of Thais consult online gurus with cryptic formulas and tips that they swear will improve their chances of winning. Others visit temples to make merit and glean lottery advice from monks, an activity that aligns with Buddhist belief systems in which good deeds are rewarded with good fortune.