The lottery is a form of gambling that involves drawing numbers to win a prize. Lotteries are regulated by law in some countries and are popular around the world. The prizes may be money, goods, services, or land. They are often promoted by radio, television, and print media. They may also be accompanied by free tickets or other incentives. Lottery profits are usually used to benefit public projects, such as sports facilities, libraries, and schools. Some governments tax lottery winnings.
The first modern national lottery was started in Japan by Emperor Meiji in 1870. Its success prompted similar lotteries in Europe, and by the end of the 19th century there were more than 40 state-run lotteries in operation. Some had multiple games, and the total amount of prize money was a substantial portion of the nation’s income.
Today, Canada has four nationwide lotteries: Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max (which replaced Lotto Super 7 in September 2009), Daily Grand, and Millionaire Life. Lottery profits are distributed through an interprovincial Crown entity, the New Zealand Lottery Corporation, which is owned by the Atlantic, Loto-Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Western Canada provincial/territorial lottery commissions. The New Zealand Lottery Grants Board distributes allocations from the Lottery Corporation directly to charities and community organizations.
In the communist country of Laos, lottery officials are accused of rigging the system in order to avoid large pay-outs, RFA’s Lao Service has learned. For example, the winning number in a recent drawing of the national lottery appeared as 5 on many purchased tickets but changed to 9 only a few minutes before the drawing. The change was made after large numbers of Lao buyers sought to purchase tickets with the number, a source told RFA.
The winner of the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot in Oregon is a 46-year-old immigrant from the Southeast Asian nation of Laos. He said he and his wife will share half the prize with a friend, who chipped in $100 to buy lottery tickets with them.
The winner, identified as Cheng Saephan, wore a sash at the news conference that read “Iu Mien USA.” Tens of thousands of Iu Mien fled to Thailand and eventually to the United States after assisting American forces during the Vietnam War. They settled mainly in the Portland area, where they have established churches, social organizations, businesses, and restaurants. They are an ethnic group that traces its roots to southern China. Saephan said he will use some of his winnings to help his family and give the rest to charity. He also plans to retire early from his job at a manufacturing plant. He will be paid the lump sum of $422 million after taxes. The winning ticket was bought at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in Oregon.