A Lao immigrant in Oregon has become a billionaire, thanks to a lottery game. Forty-six-year-old Cheng Saephan was the winner of the Powerball jackpot prize, which amounts to $1.3 billion dollars after taxes. He plans to split the prize with a friend. He wore a sash at his news conference, identifying himself as an Iu Mien, a southeast Asian ethnic group that has roots in southern China. Tens of thousands of Iu Mien fled from Laos to Thailand during the Vietnam war, and later settled in the United States, mostly along the West Coast.
Lottery games are popular online, and are often free to play. Many offer prizes in the form of cash or merchandise, while others may include travel, cars, electronics, and more. However, players should be careful about which lottery website they choose to play on. Some of these sites may charge premiums on base lottery prices, and it is important to understand how these fees affect your winnings.
In the United States, private lotteries began to emerge in the early 19th century. They were similar to the public lotteries of that era, with prizes such as silver bars and land grants. Some of these lotteries were so successful that they were even able to generate significant tax revenue for their cities.
Laos has a complicated legal status regarding gambling, which is officially illegal. However, there are Special Economic Zones throughout the country that allow casinos to operate. These casinos accept players from Laos, and offer a variety of casino games.
The government of Laos has been accused of rigging the national lottery, with officials manipulating winning numbers in order to avoid large pay-outs. Sources in the communist nation say that lottery officials rig drawings by eliminating the highest-scoring numbers or re-coding the winning numbers to prevent large pay-outs. The lottery is held three times each week in the Southeast Asian nation.
In addition to the government lottery, there are a number of private lotteries in Thailand, including the TOTO, which has a prize pool of over 2 billion baht (US$740 million). In addition to monetary prizes, TOTO also offers sports tickets and other items. The TOTO is a popular pastime among both locals and foreigners alike, with nearly half of the population participating in it each year.