Laos is stepping up efforts to regulate illegal lottery sales, which often take place online, Finance Minister Bounchom Ubonpaseuth recently told lawmakers. The ministry has asked the relevant sector to invest in a system to trace those involved in these unlawful operations, as foreign lotteries based in Vietnam and other countries are being sold in Laos up to four times a day, he said.

RFA’s Lao Service has previously reported that private business interests have rigged the country’s national lottery. In one example, a winning number of 509 appeared on tickets purchased throughout the day before the drawing, then mysteriously disappeared an hour before the draw.

Dokkeo said she plans to use her windfall to purchase a house and to travel—”South Korea, Japan, Vietnam.” She added that she will also spend some of the money on her children. “My family is my top priority,” she said. “I want to share the wealth with them.” RFA’s Ounkeo Souksavanh and Richard Finney contributed to this report.