Lottery officials in the communist nation of Laos are rigging the system, manipulating winning numbers to avoid large pay-outs, sources in the country tell RFA. Drawings in the national lottery held three times a week often show numbers that have been withdrawn, or numbers that are believed unlucky to be chosen. For example, the number 509 in a drawing on Oct. 14 this year appeared only as a five on tickets purchased throughout the day of the drawing. The number is associated in Laos with buffalo, a symbol of good luck, so many people sought to buy tickets including it. But access to the number was removed just an hour before the drawing, a source in the capital Vientiane told RFA.
Private business interests with close connections to the ruling elite are responsible for running the lottery, a source in Laos says. The companies involved pay the government for a license to run the lottery, but it’s unclear how much money they make on the actual lottery games themselves. The companies also control state-owned radio and television stations.
Officials in Laos say that there are steps being taken to address the problem, and they insist that the country’s legal state lottery is not rigged. On Aug. 17, the office of Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith sent a directive asking the Ministry of Finance, which oversees the state lottery, to work with the Ministry of Public Security to better manage the issue. The directive requires the reduction of lottery drawings from two to one a week and that all winnings be handled in a more transparent manner. It also requires that informal football lotteries and lottery chances sold through short messaging services be closed down.
In the United States, where lottery is not illegal, state legislatures can establish a lottery with different rules, such as requiring a minimum age of 16 to play, or setting prize amounts that must be rolled over to the next drawing. Some states also require that the lottery be conducted by a professional company. This reduces the likelihood of a scandal, which can lead to a loss in consumer confidence.
Canadian lotteries are operated by provincial governments through a provincial lottery corporation, or crown entity. The Canadian lottery industry is the largest in the world, with sales of more than $1.5 billion a year. Canada’s four nationwide lotteries include Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max (which replaced Lotto Super 7 in September 2009), Daily Grand, and Millionaire Life.
In a press conference in Oregon, Cheng Saephan, a Lao immigrant who won a Powerball jackpot last month, announced that he would split his $422m lump sum payment evenly with a friend who had chipped in $100 to buy a batch of tickets with him, Laiza Chao. The couple plan to use their winnings to pay off their debts and provide for their children. In addition, they want to help family members in Laos and Thailand. Chao, 55, is undergoing cancer treatments and has been told she may need to quit her job as a nurse.