Lottery is a game where players choose numbers from a range and hope to match them to winning combinations. The game has many variations, but the goal is always the same: to win a prize. Some states have state-run lotteries, while others have private ones. The latter are governed by their own laws and rules, and often have stricter security and vetting procedures. Private lotteries also tend to be more expensive than public ones.

The $1.3 billion prize is the fourth largest in Powerball history, but it is still smaller than the biggest jackpot won by a single winner in California in 2022. The Oregon lottery said the winner was an immigrant from Laos who has been living in Portland for eight years. The winner has not been publicly identified, but the winning ticket was sold at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in early April. The winner must come forward to claim the prize, and under Oregon law, winners cannot remain anonymous.

Those who want to participate in the lottery can purchase tickets at grocery stores or convenience stores. Retailers have machines that can run a customer’s ticket to verify its validity. Usually, winning tickets must be claimed within one year of the drawing. Customers must fill in their name, address and phone number on the ticket before they can submit it for a prize. Some states have special rules for purchasing a ticket, so customers should check their local laws before buying a ticket.

Officials in the communist nation of Laos are rigging the lottery system, manipulating numbers to avoid large pay-outs, sources in the capital city of Vientiane tell RFA’s Lao Service. The drawings, which are held three times a week, often show numbers that vanish from purchased tickets or are deemed unlucky by gamblers. The number 509, which appeared on tickets purchased throughout the day of a recent drawing, for example, later showed up as 134 on a radio broadcast announcing that day’s results.

Vilasack Phommaluck, the chairman of the lottery’s steering committee, told RFA that reducing the number of drawing times or showing them live on TV might reduce the chance of such shenanigans, but that the committee has no control over how the lottery company and its agents behave. He also dismissed claims that the weight of the balls used in the drawings are rigged to prevent some numbers from being chosen. The lottery is a major source of income for the government. It contributes a significant share of the country’s budget and supports many social programs. It also provides funds for sports and cultural projects. RFA’s Ounkeo Souksavanh and Brooks Boliek contributed to this report.