Lottery online is a form of gambling in which participants purchase tickets for the chance to win a prize. It is popular in many countries, and has grown rapidly since the invention of the Internet. Online lottery games are typically operated by state and territory governments, or private companies licensed to sell them. In addition, there are a number of global companies that offer services related to the lottery, including generating results and managing online gaming. These companies charge a premium on the base lottery price to cover the cost of prizes, marketing, and operations.
Laos has a state-run lottery that is overseen by the Ministry of Finance. Its drawings are conducted two times a week. In addition, many people buy lottery chances through informal football lotteries and mobile phone messaging services. However, some of these operations are illegal. On Aug. 17, the office of Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith sent a directive to the Ministry of Finance to reduce the number of state lottery draws and improve transparency. It also ordered the ministry to work with police to combat illegal activities, sources told RFA’s Lao Service.
The state-run company responsible for the lottery, the International Lottery in Liechtenstein Foundation (ILLF), pioneered Internet gaming. It was the first online gaming website to launch a virtual scratchcard game in 1995 and processed the first online gaming transaction. In addition to operating the world’s first regulated lottery site, ILLF supports charitable projects domestically and internationally. Its sites are referred to as the ILLF brands.
Despite the popularity of lotteries, their legal status is complicated in some jurisdictions. In some countries, they are considered a form of gambling and therefore require a license to operate. Others classify them as a charitable activity and tax them accordingly. In Canada, for example, buying a lottery ticket was illegal until 1967. In that year, the government passed an omnibus bill to modernize a number of obsolete laws.
Huong, a single mother in Saigon, says her only source of income is selling lottery tickets. She and her partner Manh work 16 hours a day selling tickets. On good days, they make up to 250 tickets a day, a profit of about 11 US dollars.
But even on these good days, the money isn’t enough to make ends meet for both of them. The social security system isn’t yet able to provide sufficient support for the number of poor Vietnamese citizens like Huong, who are left with no choice but to sell lottery tickets. But she hopes the government will resume control of the national lottery and take steps to make it more transparent. Reported and translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh for RFA’s Lao Service.