Lottery officials in Laos are manipulating its national lottery system to avoid paying out large winnings, according to sources. Officials use manipulation of drawings from its thrice-weekly lottery to remove numbers considered unlucky by many people and those which were once popular are suddenly unavailable for purchase, according to RFA’s Lao Service. Drawings may also be altered in such a way as to show less frequently chosen numbers than originally announced – the winning number might even disappear altogether before an announcement of winning tickets has even taken place!
Officials on the committee that oversees the lottery have denied any wrongdoing, yet suspicions persist. For instance, three consecutive drawings last month involved Laotians associating number 67 with bad luck; furthermore a woman working at one of Vientiane’s lottery outlets told RFA that lottery officials have blocked certain numbers so as to stop players selecting them.
An investigation revealed alleged shenanigans related to a private business consortium which runs the lottery and includes members who are related to top government leaders. One source in the nation’s capital reported that this consortium paid the state an undisclosed sum in exchange for managing it; yet it’s unclear exactly how much cash flowed back to government coffers from them.
As a response to these accusations, the company has promised more transparency and accountability within their lottery. They will also change some policies in order to enhance public confidence in them; furthermore they are encouraging employees to report any irregularities directly to authorities.
Concerns were recently raised that Lao lottery officials may be manipulating the outcomes of their games. An employee at one of Vientiane’s lottery outlets who was paid only a few dollars weekly said she witnessed officials blocking certain numbers and not selling them to players; she noted the company could possibly know which numbers players wanted to purchase due to knowing about players’ selection process.
Finance Ministry official told RFA that in response to allegations made against the lottery, its steering committee had altered some policies in response. They may reduce drawing frequency from twice weekly down to once every week to help restore public faith in its game. But he warned that lottery officials found manipulating results could face severe repercussions, as public trust in winning numbers won’t be assured as being accurate or fair. They could lose trust in the national lottery entirely, which would damage the economy. Furthermore, government revenue will suffer since people won’t purchase tickets – leaving it difficult to provide needed services to its constituents.