Lottery officials in the communist nation of Laos are rigging the system and manipulating winning numbers to avoid paying out large sums, sources in the country tell RFA. Drawings show numbers that vanish from purchased tickets and other numbers deemed unlucky appear in place of them, the sources say. On Oct. 14 this year, the number 509 appeared as 134 on tickets sold throughout the day before the lottery drawing but mysteriously changed to 662 shortly before the drawing took place, one source said. On Aug. 17, the office of Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith sent a directive ordering that state lottery drawings be reduced from two to one per week and that winnings be handled more transparently, the sources add. Reporting by Ounkeo Souksavanh and Bounchanh Mouangkham; Editing by Richard Finney.