Laos Lottery Officials Rigging System

Lottery officials in the communist nation of Laos are rigging the system by manipulating winning numbers, according to sources. Drawings often show numbers that disappear from purchased tickets or are deemed unlucky. For example, the number 09, which is associated with buffalos and good fortune, disappeared from tickets sold throughout the day of a lottery drawing on Oct. 14 this year, a source told RFA’s Lao Service.

The state lottery enterprise has reduced the number of legal lotteries to two times a week and stopped the scratch-card lottery after public complaints that it encourages habitual betting, Finance Minister Bounchom Ubonpaseuth told lawmakers last month. But illegal online lotteries are booming, and the ministry is seeking investment to develop a system that would allow it to trace those involved.

Dokkeo, who won a prize of 20 million kip on the Hanoi lotto, said she is looking forward to buying a new house and using some of her earnings for travel to South Korea, Vietnam, and other countries in Asia. But she stressed that her family and children will be top priorities.