Lottery officials in the communist nation of Laos are rigging the system by manipulating winning numbers, causing the state lottery to lose its credibility, sources told RFA’s Lao Service. Drawings from the country’s legal state lottery are sometimes interrupted and numbers that win are subsequently removed from purchased tickets. The government has recently sent a directive asking the Ministry of Finance, which oversees the lottery, to work with the ministry of public security to manage the problem more effectively, and limiting lottery drawing times from two to one per week.

In one case on Oct. 14, a number that had won in the previous drawing, 509, disappeared from purchased tickets and was later restored to the list of possible numbers. The number was especially attractive to buyers because of its association with the buffalo, a symbol of good luck.