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Laos Lottery – The Cat Has Lived Again
Lao players have been questioning the honesty of the national lottery after numbers that symbolize felines popped up in winning combinations four times in as many months. The national lottery, which is played thrice each week, draws numbers every five minutes. But some numbers vanish from purchased tickets or are deemed unlucky, leading to questions about whether the winners are being cheated by officials, sources tell RFA’s Lao Service.
This month, a woman from the central city of Vientiane won a prize of about 20 million kip ($3,300) after picking the number 354. The numbers represented the cat in the country’s culture and have been associated with luck for thousands of people who play the lottery thrice weekly. The 33-year-old winner said she plans to share most of her winnings with her family, adding that her phone has not stopped ringing from notifications, texts, and calls from friends and strangers since she announced the news. She will also spend some of the money on travel, mentioning South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam as destinations she’d like to visit.
In the past, the Lao lottery has faced accusations of rigging and manipulation. Drawings have shown numbers that are not on bought tickets, and the number 09 disappeared from all purchased lottery tickets before a drawing this year. It was later restored, but the suspicions remained.
Vilasack Phommaluck, a finance ministry official who serves on the committee that oversees the lottery, told RFA that he was aware of the accusations and that some changes have been made to respond to those concerns. He added that the committee will consider cutting back the number of drawings to one a week, which might reduce the chances of shenanigans.
The state-run enterprise that runs the lotteries in both countries charges premiums on base lottery numbers to boost its revenue. These charges are in addition to the standard lottery ticket price. The company, which is based in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, handles 70% of worldwide lottery games.
The company provides software for instant lottery games such as scratch-off tickets, keno, and video lottery terminals (VLTs). It is also responsible for the operation of the state-owned VLTs. The company has more than 900 employees in over 40 countries. Its revenue in 2013 was almost $3 billion. It is the third largest supplier of instant lottery games globally. In the United States, the company is the top provider of instant lottery and keno games, operating 266 gaming locations.