Lotteries are a form of gambling wherein participants have the chance to win prizes for selecting numbers in a drawing. Prizes can be anything from cash to goods or services. Lottery games are popular in many countries around the world and can be found as stand-alone operations, as part of a state or provincial government, or as private commercial enterprises. Some governments prohibit the participation in lottery games while others endorse or regulate them. Regardless of legality, some lotteries generate significant amounts of revenue for public services.

In Canada prior to 1967 purchasing a lottery ticket was illegal. In that year the federal Liberal government introduced a special bill (an Omnibus Bill) to bring up to date a number of obsolete laws including one concerning lotteries. The bill was sponsored by Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau who had been trying to recover some of the costs incurred in hosting the 1968 World’s Fair and developing a new subway system. He proposed a “voluntary tax” where for a $2.00 donation players could participate in a lottery draw with a grand prize of $100,000. There was much debate in Ottawa and Quebec City about the legality of this tax’, but the monthly draws went ahead as planned with players from Canada, the United States, and Europe. In 1969 the Quebec Court ruled that Drapeau’s tax’ did not contravene provincial law and a constitutional challenge was dropped.

Today there are four nationwide games in Canada: Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max, Daily Grand and Millionaire Life. Each is operated by a provincial/territorial lottery commission: Atlantic Lottery Corporation (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador), Loto-Quebec (Quebec), Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (Ontario), and Western Canada Lottery Corporation (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Yukon). Lottery sales are also sold online in Australia through two licensed re-sellers: Netlotto Pty Ltd and Jumbo Interactive.

A source in Laos told RFA that business interests with a stake in the national lottery include families of the country’s ruling elite. He said that the government should resume control of the lottery because private businesses are not responsible enough to manage it.

A caller from Laos to RFA’s Lao Service complained about the reliability of the national lottery. He said that lottery results announced by local radio can be misleading and that access to the number 134 was cut off in the middle of the day on Oct. 10 after it was announced as the winning number, only to be restored an hour before the drawing.