Lotteries are games of chance in which people win prizes for matching a series of numbers. They are a form of gambling and have been around for centuries. Some governments regulate them, while others do not. The number of people who play lotteries is growing, as are the prizes offered and the amounts that can be won.
New Zealand has a national lottery operated by an autonomous Crown entity, Lotto New Zealand, which replaces the country’s original state-run lotteries. It distributes profits to a wide range of charities and community organizations, including Sport and Recreation New Zealand, Creative New Zealand, and the New Zealand Film Commission. In addition to its main lottery game, Lotto, the company also operates the Keno and Bullseye games. Lottery winnings are not taxed in New Zealand.
During the course of his ethnographic research in Luang Prabang between 2013 and 2016, Dr Charles Zuckerman observed that Lao citizens frequently play lotteries, often for cash. But he wondered: what is the political and moral significance of these activities? How have they evolved over time, and how do they shed light on the mechanics of the communist state’s socialist goals?
Lao government officials have been rigging the nation’s legal lottery system in order to avoid large pay-outs, sources in the Southeast Asian nation say. Drawings of the thrice-weekly lottery often show numbers that disappear from purchased tickets or are deemed unlucky and not worth picking. In one example, the winning number 509 on Oct. 14 this year suddenly showed up as a five on tickets purchased throughout the day of the drawing after it was announced by Lao radio that the number would be unavailable for selection, a source in Vientiane told RFA’s Lao Service.
Despite these allegations, the country’s deputy finance minister and state lottery supervisor Vilasack Phommaluck has dismissed the claims. “With regard to the number shenanigans, it’s not under the committee’s purview,” he said. “If the lottery company is buying tickets for their employees only, or blocking certain numbers, this is a matter between the lottery company and its agencies.”
In Canada, buying a ticket on the Irish Sweepstakes was illegal before 1967, when a law was passed by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau that permitted the practice. The change was part of an omnibus bill designed to bring up-to-date several outdated laws.
To purchase a ticket in Laos, take your ticket and a piece of paper to any grocery or convenience store. The owner will run the ticket through a machine and hand you a smaller ticket showing your registered numbers. Once you’ve bought a ticket, the retailer will have to validate your prize before you can claim it. Generally, you’ll need to fill in your name, address, and phone number on the back of the ticket before filing for a prize. If you don’t have a valid ID, you can use your passport as proof of identity.