A 46-year-old immigrant from Laos is sharing his luck with a friend after winning a massive lottery prize in Oregon. Cheng Saephan will receive a lump sum payment of $422 million after taxes. He bought his ticket in early April at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in Portland, Oregon. He plans to use the money to invest in his business and help family members. He told lottery officials that he will also support charities. He said he will also share some of the money with his wife and two daughters.
In the United States, state-run lotteries operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Some offer instant tickets, such as scratch-off games, while others have keno and video lottery terminals (slot machines in all but name). The National Lottery operates the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot games, among others. State lotteries are funded in part by tax dollars and, in some cases, a percentage of profits go to education.
Some state lotteries are run by private businesses and sell tickets at brick-and-mortar retail outlets, while others are operated by state government. In Canada, the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation oversees four nationwide lottery games: Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max, Daily Grand, and Millionaire Life. In addition, each province and territory runs its own lottery game. The lottery is an important source of revenue for many Canadian governments.
The prizes for the lottery vary from country to country. In the US, the average jackpot is around $15 million. The largest jackpot ever was $185.4 million won in March 2016. The lottery is a popular form of gambling in the United States, with more than half of its proceeds going to education and other public programs. The rest is used for prizes and other expenses, including the cost of running the lottery system.
In addition to state-run lotteries, there are privately run companies that operate online games in the US. These sites typically charge a small fee for each play, and they often feature multiple lotteries. Some of these websites are reputable, while others are not. It is important to research the reputation of any site you are considering using.
Despite the popularity of the lottery, there is controversy surrounding it. In some countries, the government regulates the game to prevent illegal operations and ensure that winners are legitimate. In other countries, there are concerns that the lottery encourages habitual gambling, especially for children and youth. It is also important to check that your chosen lottery site is licensed and regulated in your jurisdiction.
Lottery officials in Laos are rigging the national lottery drawing, a source in the communist nation tells RFA’s Lao Service. Drawings often show numbers that appear to be unlucky or unlikely to win a large payout, the source says. For example, the winning number 509 in a drawing on Oct. 14 this year was shown only as 5 on purchased tickets, the source said. This is a violation of consumer protection laws, the source added.