Lottery online has become a major source of revenue for governments around the world. These lotteries can be run by the government itself or by private businesses with a licence to operate the games. Many of these companies also sell lottery tickets on a commercial basis. In addition, they may offer other types of games such as instant tickets and video lottery terminals. Some states have even legalized keno.
In Canada, the national lottery is operated by a consortium of provincial/territorial government agencies: Atlantic Lottery Corporation (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador), Loto-Quebec (Quebec), Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (Ontario), Western Canada Lottery Corporation (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut), and British Columbia Lottery Corporation (British Columbia). Each province/territory is responsible for its own laws, which vary considerably from one to another. In addition, each of these lotteries operates its own branded website, and each sells tickets online and in stores.
The popularity of online lottery games has increased with the rise of the Internet, and the availability of computer programs that enable players to participate in a number of different lotteries in a single place. There are now many websites that allow players to buy tickets for different lotteries and even purchase syndicates, which increase their chances of winning by increasing the number of tickets purchased in a drawing. These sites typically charge a premium over the base lottery ticket price to cover administrative costs and provide customers with more services.
Despite the fact that the legality of online gambling has been questioned in some jurisdictions, lottery-style games are thriving. Licensed operators are able to charge high commissions and other fees for their services, while online games that do not involve buying physical tickets face much less scrutiny. In addition, many Internet companies that offer services related to lotteries make use of third-party software such as GTech Corporation.
Laos Lotto Hanoi
In the past, there have been numerous allegations of corruption in the management of the national lottery. Some callers to RFA’s Lao Service have told the station that business interests with connections to the ruling elite are behind the lottery’s operations. “Hopefully the state will resume control of this national lottery, because it should be 100 percent managed by them,” a caller from Laos said. “This lottery cannot be trusted to be fair.” RFA’s Ounkeo Souksavanh and Saiphet Laissalak reported from Vientiane and contributed to this report.