Online lottery games offer players a chance to participate in lotteries from the comfort of their own homes. They work just like traditional lottery games, with players selecting a series of numbers and an optional bonus ball. On a regular schedule, the lottery site draws numbers and prizes are awarded to those who match all of their numbers. In addition, many lotteries offer additional promotions that increase players’ chances of winning.
The advantage of playing lottery online is that it’s safe and convenient. No longer do enthusiastic lotto fans have to travel abroad or risk losing their tickets, which could mean billions in lost winnings. Instead, they can purchase their tickets through an online lottery agent, such as Giant Lottos. It is a simple and fast process, requiring only a few clicks.
In addition, lottery online offers a number of payment methods tailored to the needs of its participants. These include credit and debit cards (Visa, MasterCard), e-wallets such as PayPal and Skrill, and direct bank transfers. Local services such as Momo, ZaloPay, and ViettelPay are also widely accepted. The choice of payment methods enables lottery enthusiasts in Vietnam to make purchases quickly and easily, regardless of their location.
Lao officials are rigging the national lottery, manipulating winning numbers to avoid large pay-outs, sources in the communist country tell RFA’s Lao Service. Drawings, which take place three times a week, often show numbers that appear to vanish from purchased tickets or are deemed unlucky, as was the case when number 509 appeared on tickets sold throughout the day of the Oct. 14 drawing, and then disappeared just before the draw was held.
The Lao government’s office in charge of state lottery supervision recently sent a directive to the ministry overseeing the national lottery asking it to reduce the number of drawings from two to one per week and to work with local police to better manage the situation, according to sources interviewed by RFA’s Lao Service. In addition, the directive states that informal football lotteries and lottery chances bought through mobile phone short messaging services will be banned.
The directive, signed by Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, will take effect Nov. 1, but it is not clear how much the new rules will affect the overall state lottery system. Currently, the government’s monopoly over the nation’s legal state lottery is being challenged by private business interests that have been taking over a portion of the lucrative gambling industry, and critics allege that the system lacks transparency. The lottery supervisory office declined to comment on the report.