hanoi lottery

Lottery officials in the communist country of Laos are rigging the system to avoid large pay-outs, sources tell RFA’s Lao Service. The national lottery draws three times each week, but winning numbers often vanish from purchased tickets. In one example, the number 509 appeared only as a 5 on purchased tickets throughout the day of the drawing on Oct. 14 this year, after many Lao buyers sought to pick this number that is deemed unlucky in the nation. “Private business interests shouldn’t be responsible for the national lottery, because the drawings can’t be trusted,” a source said. RFA’s Ounkeo Souksavanh contributed to this report.