Lotteries have always been part of Vietnamese culture, attracting players from all walks of life and generations alike. Lotteries generate revenue for social causes and infrastructure development while creating job opportunities – it also makes the game exciting and brings people together! However, players should play responsibly to avoid becoming addicted.
In the past, lottery tickets were often designed with intricate patterns and varied themes that reflected local customs and aesthetics. For instance, French colonial tickets often contained Vietnamese, Cambodian and French writing that symbolised French control over Indochina; post-1976 printing featured scenic sights, flowers and buildings from throughout the country; however modern lottery tickets now feature standard form filler style forms which offer little of the past’s grandeur.
Hanoi Lotto can be attributed to several factors, including favorable economic conditions and government policies that support its business. Furthermore, people in Vietnam are becoming more aware of the risks of gambling, making their choices more carefully when picking numbers. Furthermore, an expanding middle class has increased demand for lottery games – so much so that Vietnam is now considered one of the six largest gaming markets worldwide.
Nha Vy, a 26-year-old transgender woman living in Ho Chi Minh’s southern city of Ho Chi Minh, found confidence and an income by performing at lotto shows – an entertainment genre dating back to French colonial rule – where she can wear traditional Vietnamese ao dai or mini dresses with heels to perform. When performing, all taunts from her hometown fade away as soon as she steps on stage wearing these garments.
Huong can sell up to 250 lottery tickets on good days, earning around 11 US-$ in profit. But on bad days she only manages 180 tickets; during these shifts her partner Manh must accompany her for 16 hours of the 16 hour shift.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s economic nerve center, boasts the highest number of lottery ticket sellers: between 4,000 to 6,000 individuals selling lottery tickets to make an honest living. Most are children, women, elderly people and people with physical disabilities – often competing with young adults unemployed due to the economic downturn.
Vietlott, a joint venture of the state-owned Southern Lottery Council and Malaysian conglomerate Berjaya, recently introduced an American-style lottery game known as Mega 6/45 that costs $10,000 dong per ticket and allows players to select six numbers between one and 45 for an entry into each draw – growing its jackpot by at least 12 billion dong per draw until it finds a winner. While popular among players, critics say its process may not be truly random; some even suggest pre-printed winning numbers exist within its tickets!