A 46-year-old Lao immigrant whose Powerball jackpot win changed his life for the better has spoken publicly about his good fortune. Cheng Saephan of Portland, Oregon, said he and his wife will take half the prize money—$1.2 billion after taxes—and share the rest with a friend who chipped in $100 to buy lottery tickets with them. The winner said the winning ticket was purchased at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in early April.
The government-sponsored lottery is an event in which numbers are drawn at random to determine a prize, often cash or goods. Lottery winners must submit a claim before the deadline and may be required to participate in a public ceremony or face fines or other penalties. The game is a popular form of entertainment in many countries and is used to raise funds for a wide variety of purposes, including charitable works and public services.
Some governments regulate lottery games, while others limit them to state-owned enterprises or prohibit the activity altogether. Those that allow it promote the games as a way of promoting economic development, tourism, or social welfare programs. Many also use the revenue generated by lottery sales to fund education, health, and infrastructure projects. Private companies and non-governmental organizations can also run lotteries.
The Lao national lottery is run by the state-owned company Laolottery, which has earned the government substantial profits in recent years, but critics say it is rigged to avoid large pay-outs. The draw results, broadcast live each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, are often confusing and appear to be manipulated. In October, for example, the number 509 was shown as the winning number, but then disappeared from ticket purchases throughout the day before the drawing, a source told RFA.
Lottery officials have a direct connection to the communist government, and business interests with close ties to the nation’s leaders control the lottery, the source added. Those businesses pay the lottery concessionaire an annual fee, but the public is not informed how much they pay.
The prize structure of the Laos national lottery encourages participation, with prizes increasing as the number of matching digits increases. For example, a participant who matches all four numbers could see his or her stake multiplied by 6,000 times, turning a 1,000-kip wager into 6 million kip. However, the lottery is criticized for encouraging gambling addiction and has been accused of profiting from illegal betting. A ministry official recently reiterated the need for a comprehensive plan to address these problems. The ministry will soon announce a new system that allows customers to check their lottery tickets at the counters of participating shops and online. The ministry will also make it easier for people to register for the lottery. It will also offer a dedicated mobile app that will show winning numbers and other information in real time. The app will be free for all users and can be downloaded from the Google Play and Apple stores. Currently, only some lottery retailers have the app.