Lottery Online
The Internet has revolutionized the lottery industry, with new players logging on to play games that were once available only at brick-and-mortar stores. This phenomenon has led to a rise in companies that provide lottery ticket purchasing services, charging premiums on base lottery prices. Some even charge additional fees for shipping and handling. The legality of these services falls into question in many jurisdictions, as gambling laws related to lottery play have not kept pace with the proliferation of the technology.
Lottery Online is a multi-billion dollar business, but players must be aware of the risks involved in playing the game. In addition to the risk of losing money, some people may be lured into fraud schemes, which have become commonplace on the Internet. These scams often take the form of phishing emails that ask for sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card numbers. They also involve websites that resemble legitimate lottery sites, but are actually fraudulent.
A recent lottery drawing in the United States drew a winner from Portland, Oregon. He is a member of the Iu Mien, an ethnic group from southeast Asia that has roots in southern China. Thousands of Iu Mien fled Vietnam during the war and settled in the West Coast. They now live in the United States, where they run businesses and social organizations.
Although the prize in this case was $1.3 billion dollars, that amount would be paid out over 30 years. Lottery winners also must pay state and federal taxes. Nevertheless, the prize has stirred excitement and the winner has made the news.
Laos is known for rigged lottery numbers, and the communist-run nation has the second-lowest payouts in the region. Lottery officials manipulate winning numbers in order to avoid large pay-outs, sources in the country say. In one incident, the official announced a winning number of 134 in the national lottery and changed it only 10 minutes later.
In the last decade, online lottery operators have increased their presence in the Asian market. The main reason behind this is the low tax rates in countries like Singapore and Thailand, which attract many of these operators. In addition, the increasing penetration of mobile phones has helped online lottery operations grow in popularity among Asian consumers.
The state-owned Vietnamese lottery company Vietlott recently launched Mega 6/45, a Lotto-style game offering a minimum jackpot of VND12 billion. The game offers a choice of six numbers from 1 to 45 or a Quick Pick option with random selections. Its ticket price is VND10,000.
In Liechtenstein, the government-authorized International Lottery Foundation (ILLF) operates Internet lotteries. Its first online game, PLUS Lotto, was launched in 1995 and processed the first Internet lottery transaction. The ILLF also supports charitable projects and organizations worldwide. Its brands include Lotto, Keno, and Instant Kiwi scratch card games. In addition, a number of private lotteries operate in the country. In this way, the ILLF is helping to bring more lottery play to the world’s Internet users.