Lotteries are games of chance that award a prize to the winner based on numbers or symbols. They are a popular way to raise money for public services and are operated by government agencies in most countries. They are used to fund schools, health care and other public services, and in some cases provide the entire budget for a state or region. In the United States, the lottery is regulated by federal law. There are many different types of lotteries, including instant games, Keno, and scratch-off tickets. The most famous game is the Powerball, which awards a cash prize if the winning numbers are correctly picked.

The history of lotteries in Canada began in 1967 with a special law known as the Omnibus Bill. It was intended to bring a number of laws up to date, and one of the changes was an amendment to the criminal code that made it legal to operate lottery systems in Canada.

In Canada today, a lottery is run by each province or territory, with the main national games being Lotto 6/49, the new Lotto Max, and the Daily Grand. There are also several provincial games, and the government also runs a Health Lottery.

Cheng Saephan, a 46-year-old immigrant from Laos who won the Powerball jackpot in Oregon earlier this month, stood before reporters at a news conference wearing a sash bearing his name and the word “Iu Mien USA.” The sash was a nod to the Iu Mien, a Southeast Asian ethnic group with roots in southern China, many of whom assisted American forces during the Vietnam War before fleeing to Thailand or settling in the U.S. They are now a major presence in the Pacific Northwest.