Lao lottery officials are rigging the system, manipulating winning numbers to avoid large pay-outs, sources in the communist country tell RFA’s Lao Service. For example, the number 509 appeared only as a 5 on tickets purchased throughout the day of a drawing on Oct. 14 in spite of the fact that many buyers wanted to buy tickets including that number, a source in Vientiane said. Officials in charge of the state lottery have recently stepped up efforts to ensure transparency. On Aug. 17, the office of the prime minister sent a directive requiring state lottery drawings to be reduced from two to one per week, and that tickets sold in informal football lotteries and by short messaging services be handled in a more transparent manner.