Lottery officials in Laos are rigging the system and manipulating winning numbers to avoid large pay-outs, sources tell RFA’s Lao service. Those responsible for the national lottery include business interests that are connected to members of the ruling elite and have little oversight from the state, the sources say. Drawings often display numbers that disappear from purchased tickets, they add. For example, the winning number of 509 in a recent drawing reportedly disappeared from tickets bought throughout the day only to show up as five minutes before the draw was scheduled, the sources say.

Dokkeo, who won a prize of about 20 million kip in the October 14 drawing, told RFA she would share her winnings with her family and use some of it to travel—to South Korea, Vietnam, and anywhere else her heart desires. She says her phone has been ringing nonstop since the news of her win spread.

The government has reduced the number of official lotteries it issues to twice a week and stopped the scratch lottery, as a result of public complaints that they encourage habitual gambling, Bounchom said. But he warned that it will be hard to tackle illegal lotteries as they take place online.