Lottery online is an area of the Internet that has become a popular way for people to play games of chance and win prizes. These games are often played for free, or their cost is subsidized by the sale of advertising space and other sources of revenue. They may be based on traditional lottery games, such as the Powerball and Mega Millions, or they may incorporate other elements of chance, such as scratch-off tickets or video lottery terminals. In the US, lottery games are regulated by state and local laws. In addition to traditional lottery games, there are also a variety of online and instant lottery games. The GTech Corporation, which operates a number of lottery-style games, claims to control 70% of the worldwide online and instant lottery business.
The winner of a $222 million Powerball jackpot in Oregon has spoken about his good fortune and plans to split the prize money with a friend. Forty-six-year-old Cheng Saephan of Portland, a member of the Iu Mien ethnic group in Southeast Asia, said that his winning ticket was purchased at a Plaid Pantry convenience store. He says that he and his wife, Duanpen, will take half the winnings and give the rest to Laiza Chao, who chipped in $100 to buy the tickets with him.
Many people use the Internet to participate in online lotteries and other games of chance, including poker and blackjack. While the legality of these activities varies by jurisdiction, most governments regulate and enforce gambling laws. While most online lotteries are based in the United States, they attract participants from around the world. Some countries, such as Canada and Australia, prohibit the sale of foreign lottery products. Others, such as New Zealand, have a government-sponsored lottery.
In the case of New Zealand, the Lottery Grants Board distributes lottery profits to charities and community organizations. Sport and Recreation New Zealand, Creative New Zealand, and the National Library of New Zealand are some of the agencies that receive funding from the Lottery Grants Board. In addition, New Zealand has an official lotto operator, Lotto New Zealand, which runs the Lotto (including Powerball), Keno, and Instant Kiwi scratch card games.
In the communist country of Laos, meanwhile, officials are accused of rigging the national lottery to avoid large pay-outs. Sources in Vientiane tell RFA that lottery drawing results have been manipulated to eliminate numbers deemed unlucky or less desirable. For example, the number 509 was reportedly removed from lottery tickets in advance of a drawing on Oct. 14 after it became apparent that large numbers of buyers wanted to purchase tickets with that number. In the end, the number only appeared as a five in the final results. The rigged results have hurt lottery sales, according to the sources. They call on the government to resume its full control of the lottery enterprise.