Lotteries are games whereby people can win money or prizes, often by answering questions or completing a form. They are a major source of revenue for many governments. In the United States, they are regulated by state law. They are often operated by private companies, which are licensed to sell tickets. In addition, they may be promoted by television shows or radio stations. Some lotteries offer instant prizes, such as scratch-off tickets, while others have jackpot prizes.
Despite their controversial legal status, lottery games are very popular in Canada. They are governed by the provincial/territorial governments through the interprovincial lottery corporation (ILLC), which consists of five regional lotteries administered by their respective provinces/territories: Atlantic Lottery Corporation (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island), Loto-Quebec (Quebec), Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (Ontario), Western Canada Lottery Corporation (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), and Quebec Provincial Lottery Company (Quebec).
In late 1967 Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau, in an attempt to recover some of the money spent on the World’s Fair and the subway system, created a “voluntary tax” for $2.00 that entitled players to participate in a monthly drawing for silver bars. The Minister of Justice alleged this was a lottery, but the mayor insisted it did not contravene federal law. The controversy raged for months. Eventually, on September 14, 1968, the Quebec Appeal Court declared the “voluntary tax” illegal. Nevertheless, the monthly draws went on without a hitch; players from all over the country, and from Europe and Asia, participated.
In Laos, business interests with links to the ruling elite control the state-sanctioned national lottery. RFA’s Lao Service has learned that on Aug. 17 the office of prime minister Thongloun Sisoulith sent a directive requesting that the Ministry of Finance, which oversees the legal state lottery, work with the Ministry of Public Security to better manage the lottery system. Among other things, the directive said that drawings should be reduced from two to one per week and winnings handled in a more transparent manner. It also called on the government to reclaim control of the lottery, which has been run by businesses with connections to the ruling elite.