The International Lottery in Liechtenstein (ILLF) is a government-authorized and state-controlled charitable foundation that operates Internet lotteries. It also supports a variety of charitable projects and organizations worldwide. The ILLF pioneered Internet gaming, having launched the Web’s first lottery game and processed the very first online gaming transaction. The ILLF also operated the first instant scratchcard games on the Internet. It is now the world’s largest Internet lotteries operator, with over 700 million tickets sold per year and a turnover of more than USD 1.5 billion. It also supports many educational and cultural projects in the country. The ILLF is a member of the European Lottery Association.
Laos is plagued with rigged lottery games and officials who manipulate winning numbers to avoid large pay-outs, sources in the communist nation told RFA’s Lao Service this month. In recent weeks, winners in the state lottery have been complaining that their winning numbers vanish from purchased tickets during drawing events and that their names are often erased from the official results lists. The rigging has prompted the government to issue a directive on Aug. 17 requiring the Ministry of Finance, which oversees the country’s legal state lottery enterprise, to work with police to better manage the problem.
Despite the directive, officials continue to manipulate lottery results, according to sources. For example, the number 509 won the Oct. 14 drawing but only showed up as a five on tickets bought throughout the day of the drawing. The number had been popular with buyers since it is associated in the culture with the buffalo, a symbol of good luck. The same number was a winner in an earlier drawing but it changed to 134 only 10 minutes before the broadcast of the results, one source said.
Another concern is that the state lottery enterprise does not have a proper system for addressing complaints by lottery players and the public. In the past, officials have reportedly ignored or failed to respond to such complaints. The official called for steps to address the problems, but did not elaborate on what those measures might be.
For most people in Vietnam, selling lottery tickets is their only source of income. It is much more lucrative than begging, which is socially detested in this Asian nation. Huong, a single mother, sells lottery tickets along with her husband in the streets of Saigon and earns about USD 160 each day. On good days, she can sell up to 250 tickets.
Although gambling is technically illegal in the country, many Laos play at numerous offshore casinos that accept players from the country without fear of prosecution. These casinos offer the most popular casino games and can be accessed through a wide range of devices. In addition, they provide great bonus offers to attract new players and keep existing ones. Some of these casinos also offer free spins on a regular basis to reward their customers. This makes the games even more attractive to local players.