Xia Rattanakone and her husband plan to use some of their $55 million lottery winnings from Laos’ turbulent 1960s and ’70s orphanages as part of their plan to donate part to their birth family and travel the world after retiring from work and travelling freely together.
Even though lottery in Laos is legal, authorities are taking measures to combat illegal lotteries run by private business interests that generate huge sums of money, which threaten to undermine state lottery revenue, according to Finance Minister Bounchom Ubonpaseuth in a meeting with the National Assembly. He reported that illegal lotteries originating in foreign countries such as Vietnam can be sold illegally as often as four times daily in Laos; his ministry is working on developing a system which would enable authorities to trace and identify those responsible.
Laos traditionally views cats as lucky numbers, yet when one appeared in their thrice-weekly lottery drawing in October this year, players were alarmed. After its appearance in the drawing, players noticed several numbers that seemed unlucky — specifically 09 — which only appeared on small percentage of tickets bought on drawing day, while some previously popular numbers disappeared altogether – prompting many players to accuse lottery officials of rigging the lotto system.
Some players have raised concerns that lottery balls may not be evenly weighed and heavier balls fall more rapidly into their holes than lighter ones. Vilasack Phommaluck, deputy director of the state lottery enterprise, dismissed these claims by noting his committee double checks every ball’s weight before sending it through for distribution.
Charles (Chip) Zuckerman is a linguistic anthropologist with expertise in Laos since 1975 and currently teaches at the University of Sydney. His doctoral research focused on gender dynamics as well as moral and communicative dimensions of gambling in Luang Prabang.
Chip will explore how lotteries have played an essential part in Laos’ political and economic history since 1975, from their rationalization as an economic activity to reflecting socialist goals, to what people understood from playing, choosing numbers, and winning lottery tickets meant on a personal level. He will draw on ethnographic research conducted from 2013-16 in Luang Prabang as well as what his findings tell us about state enterprises as well as social life of gambling within Laos. This event will take place in English with an open audience session for questions afterward!