Lotteries are organized games of chance where people can win a prize for a small wager. The prize can range from cash to goods and services, such as vacations or sports tickets. Lottery games can be found in many countries around the world. They are operated by governments or private companies, and are sometimes regulated by law.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Internet gaming was popular, and lottery-style games became available online. These are often referred to as “instant scratchcard games.” In 1995, the Liechtenstein Lottery was one of the first to offer such games on the Internet. This was the first time a government-authorized and state-controlled lottery had offered an Internet game. It was a major milestone in the development of Internet gaming, and it established a model for other states to follow.
New Zealand has a national lottery, the Lotto New Zealand. Its profits are distributed by an autonomous Crown entity, the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board, directly to charitable organizations and community groups. It operates four nationwide lottery games: Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max (which replaced the previous Lotto Super 7 in September 2009), Daily Grand and Millionaire Life. It also runs the health lottery and several other provincial games.
In Vietnam, where the social security system isn’t yet ready to handle all of its less fortunate citizens, lottery sellers are a way for poor people to earn money. On lucky days, a single mother selling tickets can make as much as 230 000 VN-Dong (about 10 US-Dollars). For most of these workers, however, the lottery is their only source of income.
The office of Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith sent a directive on Aug. 17 requesting the ministry that oversees the legal state lottery to work with the police to crack down on illegal lotteries. It also ordered that drawing times be reduced from two to one a week, and winnings handled more transparently. The directive did not specify a date when these changes would be implemented, but it is expected to have a major impact on the growing industry. The ministry’s deputy finance minister, Sila Viengkeo, told RFA’s Lao Service that the Aug. 17 directive will be strictly enforced. He said that he will personally monitor the situation. He also denied accusations that the lottery’s system is not open and transparent. RFA’s Ounkeo Souksavanh and Bounchanh Mouangkham contributed to this report.