Lottery officials in the communist nation of Laos are rigging the system and manipulating drawing results, sources tell RFA’s Lao Service. Private business interests control the national lottery, which draws prizes three times a week, and are suspected of tampering with the numbers to avoid large pay-outs. A recent drawing showed the number 509, but the same number appeared only as a five on tickets sold throughout the day of the drawing, the source said.

Finance Minister Bounchom Ubonpaseuth addressed the issue in parliament, calling for action to regulate illegal online lotteries that lure people into habitual gambling. He said authorities should invest in a tracking system to identify those behind the operations, which often take place on social media networks. If she were to win the lottery, Dokkeo says she would spend some of the money on her family, and some for travel: “South Korea, Japan, Vietnam — you name it.” She adds that a new house is also on her wish list.