The lottery is a game of chance where numbers are drawn to determine the distribution of prizes. Lottery results are generally announced via official websites and news outlets, or live television broadcasts. This ensures transparency and public trust in the process. However, lottery winners can be reluctant to share their names publicly, a practice called “anonymity.” In Oregon, where the winnings from the Powerball jackpot were recently announced, winners can keep their identities secret with a few exceptions.
A Laotian immigrant who has battled cancer for eight years plans to split hundreds of millions of dollars with a friend after winning the lottery, according to a news release from Oregon. Forty-six-year-old Cheng Saephan of Portland, Oregon, said he would take half of the prize money and give the other half to his friend, Laiza Chao. The couple shared a ticket purchased by Chao for $100, which gave them both a shot at the big prize.
Lottery results are determined through random drawings, either using mechanical balls machines or computerized number generators. The winners are then usually announced via the lottery’s website or in other media, such as local news outlets or radio shows. Many players choose a set of numbers that they feel are lucky, based on their own beliefs or historical data showing certain numbers appear more frequently in lottery draws. However, the numbers chosen are ultimately irrelevant to the chances of winning.
In the communist nation of Laos, officials are accused of rigging the lottery system and manipulating winning numbers to avoid large pay-outs. Drawings in the national lottery, which is held three times a week, often show numbers that vanish from purchased tickets or that are deemed unlucky, such as 09, a resident of the capital Vientiane told RFA’s Lao Service. Some people have also complained that the company that runs the lottery in the country has access to the numbers that buyers choose and therefore can manipulate the results.
A finance ministry official, Vilasack Phommaluck, denied the claims, telling RFA that the lottery committee has double checked the numbers and the weight of the lottery balls to make sure the process is fair. He has also promised to cut the lottery drawing time back from three to one day per week to address public concern about its legitimacy. However, some residents say they still don’t believe the system can be trusted. Some also accuse the company that runs the lottery of favoring business interests with connections to Lao’s ruling elite.