Lotteries are public games of chance in which participants purchase tickets for a prize. There are many types of lottery, including state-sanctioned, privately run, and internationally sanctioned games. In addition to traditional lotteries, some countries also allow Internet gambling and online lottery games. In the United States, state-licensed websites offer a variety of lottery-style games. In Europe, lottery games are usually offered through the Internet and mobile phones. In Canada, most provinces have national lotteries. The Quebec city of Montreal also runs a municipal lottery that has been the subject of controversy. The federal Minister of Justice claimed that the municipal lottery was a form of taxation, while Mayor Pierre-Maurice Drapeau argued that it was a voluntary contribution to public goods. After lengthy legal battles, the Supreme Court ruled that the municipal lottery did not contravene federal law.
A large number of different companies are involved in running lotteries, and many sell their services to private businesses and individuals. Some of the largest lottery companies are GTech, which operates the online version of the New York Lottery, and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, which manages the European versions of the EuroMillions, Powerball, and SuperEnalotto games. Others, such as the Maryland Lottery and the Louisiana State Lottery, operate localized online lotteries. Some private companies provide software for creating and managing lotteries, and also sell and print tickets.
In the United Kingdom, there are several national lotteries, operated by companies such as Camelot and 888 Holdings. In addition, the country has numerous private lotteries. These are often advertised through newspapers, on the radio, or over the Internet. They may have a minimum entry requirement or require players to make regular contributions.
The Laotian government has recently issued a directive aimed at increasing transparency in the nation’s legal state lottery system. It has asked the ministry of finance, which oversees the lotteries, to reduce the number of drawing sessions from three to two each week and to better handle winnings. The directive also aims to close informal football lotteries and lotteries conducted through short messaging service (SMS). RFA’s Lao Service reports from Vientiane.
Vietnam
For poor Vietnamese people, selling lottery tickets is their only way to earn money. The social security systems in the country are not yet able to cope with the amount of poor citizens, so they choose selling lottery tickets over the socially detested act of begging. Every day, Huong, a single mother from Saigon, makes up to 230 000 VN-Dong (about 10 US-Dollars) by selling lottery tickets on the streets. The proceeds help her feed her pregnant daughter.