Lottery officials in the communist nation of Laos are rigging the system by manipulating winning numbers, sources in the country tell RFA’s Lao Service. Drawings often display a number that has disappeared from purchased tickets, or a number that people deem unlucky and thus unlikely to be chosen. For example, on Oct. 14 this year the number 9 showed up on many tickets before disappearing from most of them just an hour before the drawing, a source told RFA.

The office of Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith issued a directive on Aug. 17 requiring the state lottery to operate in a more transparent manner. A ministry official tells RFA the provisions of the directive will be enforced, but no date has been set for their implementation.