Lottery online has become a global phenomenon, enabling people to play the lottery from anywhere in the world. Previously, players were required to either live in the country or be visiting that country in order to buy tickets, but advances in technology have changed all that. The ability to play lotto from a computer or mobile device has opened up a whole new market for enthusiastic lottery players.
Buying lottery tickets online is a safe and convenient way to play lotto. The process is simple: you select a series of numbers and a bonus ball or multiples. Then a random sequence of numbers is drawn on a regular basis and the winner receives a prize determined by the total number of correctly selected numbers. In addition, online lotteries offer a variety of additional features such as instant win games and multi-games where you can increase your chances of winning.
Although gambling is illegal in Laos, there are Special Economic Zones throughout the country where lotteries operate legally. The government also allows private companies to manage the state lottery, but it is not clear how much control they exercise over the process. Several business interests with ties to the ruling elite have been granted licenses to sell state lottery tickets. Among them are the GTech Corporation, which administers 70% of worldwide online and instant lottery operations.
While the spokesman for the Lao lottery commission declined to comment on specific cases, he said that state officials had been notified of reports of rigged results and were looking into them. He added that his department had sent a directive on Aug. 17 to the Ministry of Finance, which oversees the state lottery, requesting that it work with the ministry to handle complaints and improve transparency. The directive also requires that drawing frequency be reduced from two to one per week and that lottery tickets purchased by text message be discontinued.
In addition, he noted that many of the ticket sellers who are not licensed by the state lottery commission are not registered and are selling their tickets for a higher price than those sold at regulated stores. He added that he was concerned about the effect of these unauthorized sales on the lottery’s overall reputation.
In Vietnam, a growing number of disabled and elderly people hawk lottery tickets in their neighborhood to make a living. These ticket sellers are often swindled by agents who take advantage of their lack of knowledge about the rules of the game. They are also unable to return unsold tickets because they risk being classified as mediocre sellers and lose their 10 percent commission cut. A physically handicapped man named Phuong is one such seller. He has been selling lottery tickets in Ho Chi Minh City for a year to try to support his family. He said that most of his friends have stopped selling tickets because of their poor returns. He is trying to stave off the prospect of being homeless and destitute by hawking lottery tickets at night.