Hanoi Lotto has become an integral part of Vietnamese culture and society. Each year it generates millions of dollars in revenue to support social causes and infrastructure development; also creating jobs locally. But there can be some negative aspects to the game and players must play responsibly.
Vietnam has numerous lottery shops where residents can purchase lottery tickets to compete for various prizes. Prices differ by region; on average a ticket costs VND10,000 (approximately 50 US-dollars). Each lottery ticket features preprinted numbers. Peddlers offer stacks of tickets and ask you to select your purchase; proceeds go back into each province through separate tickets with proceeds going directly back there.
Poor and vulnerable Vietnamese often rely on selling tickets as their sole means to make a decent living, due to disability, age or other factors preventing them from working or no unemployment benefits or aged pension from the state. Thus lottery sales become an attractive alternative to beggarly acts such as begging. Sometimes sellers can even make up to 230 000 VND per day (approx. $10 US-dollars).
Mobifone user Mohorkhan from Vietnam won the most recent Power 6/55 jackpot prize worth over VND231 billion (US$9.7 million). Vietnam’s lottery industry is growing quickly and now accounts for two of its major industries after agriculture; lottery companies have expanded into remote areas offering online services that reach people who cannot visit physical shops.
Vietlott, one of Vietnam’s premier lottery companies, sells its products through a network of wholesalers and smaller stores located throughout all Vietnamese major cities. Unfortunately, these retailers do not always manage to sell all the tickets they receive; any unsold tickets end up on the black market instead and may pose serious consequences for both Vietlott and its retail partners.
As such, the government has taken measures to eliminate illegal lottery trade. Under its new regulation, lottery operators will need to report any purchases by minors as well as set up hotlines for reporting suspicious activities. Furthermore, public holidays will no longer host lottery games and ads must be approved by the national advertising council before being published.
Nha Vy, a transgender performer, finds the new regulations insufficient in protecting her and her colleagues. She still experiences discrimination and abuse from outside sources despite how her performance career has given her self-esteem and confidence. However, every time she steps onto the stage in a traditional Vietnamese ao dai or mini dress as part of lottery shows like Lotterie Show of Fortune or Dancing Lotto Show of Destiny she forgets all about past taunts that she endured as a girl – as hundreds of LGBT performers find security and dignity from lottery shows like hers!