Lotteries are organized by governments to raise money for a variety of purposes. They often fund public works, such as roads and schools, or provide cash prizes to winners. Some are based on chance and some have skill elements. The prizes are usually distributed by regional or national lottery commissions. In Canada, there are four nationwide lottery games: Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max (which replaced Lotto Super 7 in September 2009), Daily Grand and Millionaire Life. These are administered by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, a consortium of five provincial and territorial lottery commissions that are owned by their respective provinces or territories: Atlantic Lottery Corporation (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador), Loto-Quebec (Quebec), Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (Ontario), Western Canada Lottery Corporation (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Yukon), and British Columbia Lottery Corporation (British Columbia).

In Laos, the government oversees the national lottery, which is known as hwy, or koon kaw . It is a popular pastime among the nation’s poor and rural populations. The prize ranges from small amounts to thousands of dollars. The lottery also provides a source of revenue for the country’s military and security forces.

Lao officials have been accused of rigging the lottery to avoid large pay-outs. Sources tell RFA’s Lao Service that the drawing results of the national lottery, which takes place three times a week, often show numbers that appear on tickets sold throughout the day of the lottery but are later changed to other numbers. For example, the winning number in a recent drawing was 09 but appeared only as 5 on purchased tickets.

A Lao state official who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity said the private business interests that manage the lottery include people from the families of the nation’s ruling elite. He added that the state should resume control of the lottery, because private business interests can’t be trusted to conduct fair and impartial drawings.

In the United States, lottery games are regulated at the state level. Most state lotteries offer a wide variety of games including scratch-off tickets, pulltabs, and electronic lottery games such as Powerball and Mega Millions. Some states also have online lotteries. In addition to state-regulated lotteries, there are also a number of privately-owned Internet-based lottery games. Many of these sites operate through a lottery agent or are affiliated with a local lottery. These sites must be licensed and bonded by the state. They are usually required to disclose the terms and conditions of their services. They are also required to comply with all federal regulations.