The popularity of lottery games online is growing worldwide. Unlike land-based lotteries, which require players to be physically present in order to participate, online versions of the games offer players a chance to win prizes without ever leaving their homes or offices. In addition, online lotteries have a number of benefits, such as lower overhead costs and the ability to reach players across a much wider geographic area than traditional land-based lottery games. However, the growth of lottery-style games online is raising concerns about their safety and security. This is especially true for instant play games, which are regulated less strictly than other types of online gambling.

The government of Laos has stepped up efforts to crack down on illegal lottery activities, which have become a major source of income for some people in the country, according to a lawmaker. The communist nation has its own legal state lottery, which is run by the state lottery enterprise. But many people have been buying foreign countries’ lotteries and selling them in the country, which is against state law. This has dwindled revenue from the legal lottery to only about 20 billion kip in recent years.

Lao deputy finance minister Bounchom Bounchom has called on state lottery authorities to more effectively tackle the problem of illegal lotteries, saying they lure people into habitual betting and must be regulated. The government has sent a directive to the ministry overseeing the state lottery, asking it to work with the police to monitor illegal lotteries and make them transparent, sources told RFA’s Lao Service. The directive also says the state lottery should reduce drawings from four to two per week and end the scratch lottery, which requires buyers to scratch off a layer of paper to see their numbers.

While the legal state lottery has been successful in generating large winnings for lucky ticket holders, there have also been instances of officials rigging the results. For example, the winning number of the Oct. 14 drawing was 509, but this number disappeared from purchased tickets throughout the day of the lottery and reappeared as 134 10 minutes before the drawing was to be announced on local radio. Another source questioned the authenticity of this number, which was also associated with the buffalo, a symbol of good fortune in Laos.

For some poor Vietnamese people, selling lottery tickets is the only way to survive as their social security systems aren’t able to handle such a high volume of needy citizens. A single mother who sells tickets in Saigon can make about 230 000 VN-Dong (10 US-Dollars) a day, which is just enough to cover her living expenses and give her baby son food. However, she still struggles to pay the electricity bills and keep up with her mortgage, which is due to expire next year. She said she will continue to sell lottery tickets as long as possible. The money she earns from this job is much better than begging, which is socially detested in Vietnam.