Lottery Online
The popularity of lottery play has been growing steadily since the 1970s. Instant lottery tickets (scratch cards) have become an important source of revenue, while keno and video lottery terminals (a form of slot machine in all but name) are becoming popular in many jurisdictions. However, the legality of these activities remains in question, as state and provincial gambling laws have not kept pace with advances in technology.
In Canada, lotteries are legal as long as they are run by the federal or provincial government. During the 1960s, Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau attempted to raise funds for the city’s World’s Fair and subway system by instituting a “voluntary tax.” For a $2.00 donation players would be eligible to participate in a draw that would award the winner silver bars instead of money. The Minister of Justice argued that Drapeau’s tax contravened federal law, but the court ruled against him and the draws went ahead as planned.
The national lottery is rigged in the communist nation of Laos to avoid large pay-outs, sources in the country tell RFA’s Lao Service. Drawings often show numbers that are not shown on purchased tickets, or which are deemed unlucky by players, the sources say. The companies responsible for the lottery’s work include some with connections to the country’s ruling elite, the sources add.
A directive sent to the Ministry of Finance, which oversees the legal state lottery, on Aug. 17 orders the government to take steps to address these concerns, according to sources. The directive states that the number of drawings per week should be reduced and that winnings must be handled more transparently. It also orders that informal football lotteries and lottery chances purchased via short messaging services be shut down.
For many poor Vietnamese people, selling lottery tickets is their only source of income. As the social security systems in the country aren’t able to keep up with the increasing number of needy citizens, many people choose selling lottery tickets over the socially detested act of begging. As Huong, a single mother living in Saigon, explains, her daily earnings from selling lottery tickets are enough to feed her and her son and allow them to live comfortably. But she’s worried that her luck won’t hold out and she will soon find herself homeless. In the meantime, she is relying on the hope that her next lottery ticket will be the winner. A version of this article originally appeared on the Asia-Pacific blog, Global Voices. It is reprinted here with permission.