Lao lottery officials rig the national games to avoid paying out large amounts of money, sources tell RFA’s Lao Service. They often deny access to the numbers on tickets that have been purchased throughout a day prior to the drawing and then suddenly allow the number in question to be picked. In one such case on Oct. 14, the winning number 509 appeared only as a 5 on tickets purchased throughout the day, but then changed to 9 only an hour before the drawing took place. Private business interests involved in the lottery also have links to Lao ruling elites, the sources say.