Lao authorities are rigging the country’s legal state lottery system, with drawing numbers that vanish from tickets and numbers appearing only minutes before winning prizes are awarded, sources tell RFA’s Lao Service. Private business interests with a stake in the lottery’s work include members of the ruling elite, a source who spoke on condition of anonymity told RFA. On Aug. 17, the office of prime minister Thongloun Sisoulith sent a directive calling for lottery drawings to be reduced to one per week and winnings handled in a more transparent manner. Reported by Ounkeo Souksavanh and Bounchanh Mouangkham; translated by RFA’s Lao Service.