The Internet has made it possible for individuals to participate in a lottery from the comfort of their homes. While lottery-style games may not be legal in all states, many people enjoy the opportunity to win money from these websites. Some of these sites offer lottery tickets at a premium, charging an additional amount over the base price of the ticket. Others provide free lotteries and charge advertising fees. In either case, online lotteries are increasing in popularity.
The world’s first Internet lottery was launched in 1995 by the International Lottery in Liechtenstein Foundation (ILLF). It pioneered Internet gaming, and its brands include PLUS Lotto, EuroMillions, Instant Wins, and GameHub. The ILLF also supports charitable projects and organizations domestically and internationally.
In Canada, the federal government regulates the operations of lotteries. Prior to 1967 buying a ticket on the Irish Sweepstakes was illegal, but that year Pierre Trudeau’s Liberal government introduced an Omnibus Bill that brought up-to-date a number of obsolete laws. One of those laws was a section of the Criminal Code that was amended to allow provincial governments to run lotteries.
Lottery officials in the communist nation of Laos have long been accused of rigging the system to avoid large pay-outs. Drawings in the national lottery often show numbers that do not appear on purchased tickets or are deemed unlucky, sources tell RFA’s Lao Service. A caller to the RFA news desk in Vientiane complained that private business interests with a stake in the lottery’s work have connections to the country’s ruling elite. “I think the government should resume control of the lottery, because it’s really not managed well,” he said.
A Lao immigrant in Oregon will share hundreds of millions of dollars with a friend after winning the Powerball game last week. Forty-six-year-old Cheng Saephan of the Portland suburb of Milwaukie told a news conference that his wife, Duanpen, will take half of the prize and give the rest to a fellow cancer patient. Laiza Chao, who chipped in $100 to buy the tickets with them, has been fighting leukemia since 2016.
The winning ticket was sold at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in downtown Portland. The winner’s identity was not revealed due to a vetting process and security considerations. If the winner’s identity is verified, he or she will receive the prize in 30 annual installments of $240 million after federal and state taxes are taken out. It would be the largest lottery payout in U.S. history. The previous record was set in April when a Georgia man won $1.6 billion in the Powerball drawing. That jackpot was paid out over 30 years, but the winner chose to take a single payment of $422 million. This story was reported by Claire Rush and Gene Johnson and adapted by Mario Ritter Jr. for VOA Learning English. Copyright 2018 VOA. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.