Lottery Online
The Internet has enabled the growth of online lotteries, which offer players a chance to win real money without the need to visit a physical lottery game venue. These sites are not operated by state or national governments, but rather by private companies that make money by selling lottery tickets on behalf of the games’ official operators. In many countries, these services are considered illegal. However, in the United States, the Internet has provided a number of legal opportunities for online lotteries.
One of these is the International Lottery in Liechtenstein Foundation (ILLF), a non-profit that operates an Internet lottery and supports charitable projects worldwide. Founded in 1995, the ILLF pioneered Internet gaming and processed the first-ever online lottery transaction. Today the ILLF has several websites, each offering different types of lottery games. It also offers instant scratch-card games and keno.
In the United States, there are several large multi-state lotteries, including Powerball and Mega Millions. In addition, some states run their own lotteries. For example, the Oregon Lottery announced a $1.3 billion jackpot prize in early April. The winner, Cheng Saephan, will receive a lump sum payment of $422 million after federal and state taxes. The winning ticket was purchased at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in Portland, and Saephan will split the money with his wife and friend.
Despite its communist past, Laos is a vibrant and wealthy Southeast Asian country with a booming tourism industry. The government has created a special economic zone in Laos where gambling is permitted. In fact, there are three casinos operating in the country. However, betting on the results of a lottery is still illegal in Laos. However, there are a number of unlicensed websites that offer lottery-style games. These websites are often run by criminals or by foreign organizations.
Lottery officials in the communist nation of Laos are rigging the system to avoid paying out large pay-outs, sources tell RFA’s Lao Service. Drawings in the national lottery, which take place three times each week, often display numbers that are already in play or that have been deemed unlucky and unlikely to be chosen. In addition, the number 509 appeared as 5 throughout a day of lottery ticket sales, only to be changed to 09 shortly before the drawing was held. This occurred after large numbers of people sought to purchase tickets with this number.