The small Southeast Asian nation of Laos is known for its rugged mountains, French colonial architecture, and hill tribe settlements. But hidden within its textured cultural fabric is another vital cornerstone – the lottery. Each time the Laos lottery announces its results, the country comes together in a shared moment of anticipation and excitement. It’s more than a game of numbers, it’s a social leveller, a tradition that unites the country, and a beacon of hope for many.
The mystical aura of luck and fortune permeates the entire lottery process in Laos, as is evident by the combination of numbers and symbols that comprise each drawing. For example, the most recent lottery draw saw the numbers 11 (dog), 00 (shell), 07 (pork), and 20 (centipede) as the lucky numbers, each of which hold deep meaning to people of different ethnic backgrounds. The lottery’s unique blend of numbers and culture reflects the country’s nuances, and is a window into its thriving sense of community and optimism.
Laos’ state-run lottery was established in 1969, with the purpose of raising funds for public projects, mainly infrastructure development. Initially, the lottery generated significant revenue for the country, but as legal debates continued to plague the lottery, revenues dropped dramatically. The lottery was eventually declared illegal in Canada in 1974, resulting in a sharp drop in participation and the subsequent loss of millions in prize money.
A woman who grew up in a Laotian orphanage says she plans to donate some of the winnings from her lottery ticket to her parents and the people who raised them. She and her husband, who works as a nurse in Seattle, also want to search for her birth family back home.
To help reduce the amount of money lost to gambling, the Laos government launched a new strategy for curbing the number of illegal lottery operators. On Aug. 17, the office of Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith sent a directive urging the Ministry of Finance to work with other agencies to control the problem, RFA’s Lao Service reported. Among other things, the directive orders the state lottery to reduce the number of drawings and improve transparency, while closing down informal football lotteries and lottery chances purchased via short messaging services.
