Lottery is a popular activity that can involve playing games of chance, where the winner receives a prize. Lotteries are often operated by state or territorial governments, but may also be run by private organizations. The proceeds from a lottery are generally used to fund public services or other purposes. A lottery is an important source of revenue for a state, and it can be a powerful tool in combating poverty.
Lotteries are a form of gambling, and are regulated by the law in many countries. In the United States, lottery winners must be at least 18 years old and must be residents of the state in which they are playing. Some state laws require the winning ticket to be validated before it is deemed a valid prize. Other state laws require that the winning ticket be a winner for a specific drawing, while others specify that the prize must be claimed within a certain period of time.
In New Zealand, the state-owned Crown entity Lotto controls and manages the national lottery, distributing its profits through an autonomous Crown entity called the Lottery Grants Board to charities and community groups. The Lottery Grants Board distributes its allocations through an online application system that allows registered charitable and community organisations to apply for funding. These applications are assessed by the statutory body Sport and Recreation New Zealand, and the independent Lottery grants panel.
The lottery is the most common method of raising public funds in the United States, accounting for more than 40% of federal and state revenues. It is also the primary source of state education and social welfare spending. The lottery has generated more than $600 billion in the US over the past century.
Laos state officials are rigging the country’s national lottery, manipulating winning numbers to avoid large pay-outs, sources tell RFA’s Lao Service. Officials are also preventing lottery players from purchasing tickets with numbers that are likely to win, such as number 509 in the Oct. 14 drawing.
Despite being illegal in Laos, lottery play is widespread, especially through Internet sites. Some of these websites are based in other countries, where it is legal to offer this service. Other sites claim to operate in compliance with the law, but it is difficult for anyone to verify these claims.
Cheng Saephan, who won a Powerball jackpot of about $1.3 billion in Oregon earlier this month, is part of the Iu Mien (or Chinese-Lao) ethnic group that escaped persecution during the Vietnam War. He and his wife are taking the lump sum payout, which amounts to about $422 million after taxes. The couple will also give half the money to a friend, Laiza Chao, of Portland, Oregon. They are members of a local Iu Mien community, which includes a Buddhist temple, a Baptist church, and a variety of businesses. The winner said he has no plans to retire and hopes to help the Iu Mien people in their homeland.