The Lottery Online is a free-to-play, interactive lottery website that lets players choose their own numbers and win cash prizes. Various games are available, including instant lottery tickets and keno. Some states have even introduced video lottery terminals, which are similar to slot machines in all but name. Players should be aware that there are risks associated with playing the lottery, and should never use real money to play any game. Those under 18 must have an adult’s permission to play the lottery online.
A man who won a $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot in Oregon earlier this month used his prize to help his family and community. During his news conference, Cheng Saephan wore a sash emblazoned with the words “Iu-Mien USA.” The 46-year-old immigrant from Laos said his winnings have changed his life and helped to raise awareness about the Iu Mien people, an ethnic group whose members assisted American forces during the Vietnam War and fled into Thailand and the West Coast of the United States after the conflict.
Lotteries are legal in most countries, though many governments prohibit them, and some are highly regulated. Lottery prizes must be claimed within a year of the drawing. Many jurisdictions allow players to buy tickets online, and many have websites that provide a listing of the top prize winners. However, the legality of lottery play is debated in some regions, as gambling laws have not kept pace with new technology and Internet access.
Sources in the communist country of Laos tell RFA that government officials rig national lottery drawings, manipulating winning numbers to avoid large pay-outs. Often, winning numbers are shown only on purchased tickets for a limited time and then replaced by other numbers that have not been drawn. For example, the number 509 appeared only on ticket purchases for the Oct. 14 drawing but was then switched to 662 just 10 minutes before the draw, one source told RFA.
Those in Laos with a stake in the lottery’s work include business interests with close ties to the ruling elite, a source told RFA. It is not clear how much those businesses pay to the state to manage the lottery, and the public is not informed of how the results are tampered with. Laos authorities should take back control of the lottery, the source said.