Laos’ legal state lottery is corrupt, and private business interests that run it have connections to the country’s ruling elite, sources in the communist nation tell RFA’s Lao Service. The lottery drawing is rigged, and winning numbers are often withdrawn or change just before a scheduled drawing, they say. In one instance, the number 09 disappeared from purchased tickets throughout the day of a drawing and was later announced as a winner—only to be changed to 509 minutes before the drawing took place. The office of Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith has sent a directive to reduce the frequency of state lottery drawings and increase transparency, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.