Lottery officials in the communist nation of Laos are rigging the system, manipulating winning numbers to avoid large pay-outs, sources tell RFA’s Lao Service. Drawings for the national lottery — which are held three times a week — frequently show numbers that are not printed on purchased tickets or are deemed unlucky and unlikely to win. For example, on Oct. 14 this year, the number 09 was shown as a winning number in the drawing, but was not available on tickets bought throughout the day of the drawing. The private business interests responsible for the lottery include relatives of the country’s ruling elite, a source said.