Lotteries are games of chance in which people win prizes based on the draw of numbers. They are popular in many countries around the world and are regulated by law. Some governments even tax winnings from these games. There are many different kinds of lotteries, including state-run lottery games and private games. State-run lotteries are usually operated by government agencies, while private lotteries are operated by independent companies or organizations. The prizes in these games can range from small cash amounts to large amounts of property or goods.
In Canada prior to 1967 buying a lottery ticket was illegal. That year the federal Liberal government introduced a special law called an Omnibus Bill. It was intended to bring up-to-date a number of outdated laws, including the law against lotteries. The bill was sponsored by Pierre Trudeau, the Minister of Justice. The bill included an amendment permitting provincial governments to operate lotteries.
The first Canadian state lottery was established in Ontario in 1853. In the beginning, the lotteries were very popular but eventually became controversial. They caused moral problems, and people began to feel that they were unjust. In addition, the lottery was a very expensive form of entertainment, and its profits were used to finance a variety of municipal projects, including the city’s sewage system. The public grew increasingly dissatisfied with the way that the lottery money was being spent, and in the end the Liberal Party withdrew its support from the bill.
A few years later the Quebec provincial government created a provincial lottery to raise funds for the city of Montreal. The mayor of Montreal, Jean Drapeau, claimed that the new lottery was not a lottery at all but rather a “voluntary tax.” For a $2.00 “donation” players would be eligible to participate in a monthly drawing with a grand prize of $100,000. In order to win the prize, contestants had to correctly answer four questions about Montreal. The mayor claimed that this did not contravene any laws against lotteries, and the draws went ahead without a hitch.
Currently, the state lottery in Laos is managed by private business interests with close ties to the ruling elite. According to a source speaking on condition of anonymity to RFA’s Lao Service, these businesses pay the government an annual fee for the concession and do not disclose how much their profits are.
The source added that these private businesses should not be responsible for running the national lottery because they cannot be trusted to hold fair drawings. The caller added that he hopes the government will resume control of the lottery so that it can be 100 percent managed by the government. Reported and translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh and Bounchanh Mouangkham for RFA’s Lao Service.