Lotteries are gambling games that involve drawing numbers and then attempting to match them in a draw to win a prize. Many governments regulate and control lottery operations. They are also a popular source of revenue in some countries. While most people enjoy playing the lottery, some do not. Others consider it a waste of money, especially when the odds are low and the prizes are small.
In addition to traditional state-run lotteries, many countries have private or independent lotteries. These can be privately owned and operated by businesses and organizations, or may be government-sponsored. In some cases, a company can operate a number of lotteries simultaneously. Nevertheless, a large percentage of the world’s lottery revenue comes from state-run lotteries.
The Internet has spawned a variety of online lottery-style games. These often take the form of a Web page and charge premiums on top of base lottery prices. Many of these sites are legal, though many are not. Some are run by major software companies, such as GTech Corporation, which processes 70% of the world’s online lottery business. Others are operated by charitable organizations, including the International Lottery in Liechtenstein Foundation (ILLF), which pioneered Internet gaming and operates instant scratch-off games.
While gambling is illegal in Laos, a growing number of local residents are turning to international bookmakers to place their wagers on a wide range of sports events. In the case of football betting, these sites are particularly attractive because they offer a vast selection of markets and competitive odds. Moreover, they accept deposits and withdrawals in local currency.
Lao state lottery officials are not happy about these new developments, and they say that private business interests should not be responsible for the national lottery because their drawings cannot be trusted. They have called on the government to resume control of the lottery. Reported by Ounkeo Souksavanh and Bounchanh Mouangkham for RFA’s Lao Service. Translated by Richard Finney.
Charles Zuckerman is a linguistic anthropologist who studies Laos. His doctoral research analyzed gender and the moral dimensions of gambling in Luang Prabang, and his postdoctoral research explores multilingualism and social convergence in the Nakai-Nam Theun Protected Area. His current project is a study of the social history of lotteries in Laos since 1975.