Lottery Online
The lottery is an institution whose primary function is to award prizes for numbers drawn by chance. While most of the world’s lotteries are operated by government agencies, a number of private companies also offer their services. These firms are often called “lottery agents” or “lottery retailers.” They typically charge a small fee to sell tickets and receive commission for any winnings.
Despite being banned in most states, lottery games are available on the Internet through several online gambling websites. These sites, which are based in offshore jurisdictions, allow players to place bets without the risk of being caught by their local gambling laws. The popularity of these sites has increased over the past few years.
Some countries have laws prohibiting online lottery play, while others regulate it through their national lottery agency or similar entity. Some of these sites provide access to official state-run lotteries, while others offer a variety of games from around the world. The legality of these activities is debated in many places, especially the United States.
New Zealand’s lottery is controlled by an autonomous Crown entity, Lotto New Zealand (Lotto). It distributes its profits to the community through Sport and Recreation New Zealand, Creative New Zealand, and the Lottery Grants Board. New Zealand has four games: Lotto, Keno, Bullseye, and Instant Kiwi. The prizes are taxed in the country.
Lottery winners can choose to receive their prize in a lump sum or to split it with a friend. The winners’ names are usually made public in order to promote the game and encourage other people to try their luck. However, some governments allow winners to keep their names confidential.
Canada has four nationwide lotteries: Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max (which replaced Lotto Super 7 in September 2009), and Daily Grand. These are administered by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, a consortium of the five regional lottery corporations owned by their respective provincial/territorial governments: Atlantic Lottery Corporation (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador), Loto-Quebec (Quebec), Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (Ontario), and Western Canada Lottery Corporation (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut).
Laotian immigrant Cheng Saephan wore a bright blue sash emblazoned with “Iu-Mien USA” at a news conference to announce his Powerball jackpot win in Portland, Oregon. The 46-year-old’s luck has changed his life. He plans to take the lump sum payout of $422 million after taxes, which he will split with a friend.
The winning ticket in the Powerball draw was purchased by a man from Laos living in Hanoi, Vietnam. He said he had bought the ticket because the number 509 is associated with buffalo, a symbol of good fortune. However, access to the number was limited throughout the day of the drawing and was restored only 10 minutes before the announcement. A source in Laos told RFA’s Lao Service that officials manipulate lottery drawings to avoid large pay-outs. He spoke on condition of anonymity.