Laos lottery officials are rigging the system, manipulating winning numbers to avoid large pay-outs, sources in the communist nation tell RFA’s Lao Service. The national lottery draws prizes three times a week but some numbers vanish from purchased tickets before the drawing, while others are deemed unlucky and unlikely to be chosen. A number 09, for example, appeared as 5 on purchased tickets throughout the day of a recent drawing but was changed to 9 before the drawing itself, a source in the capital told RFA. The companies responsible for the lottery include private business interests with connections to the government elite.