In the heart of Southeast Asia, surrounded by the mountainous terrains and French colonial architecture of Laos, lies a cultural fixture that unites this country with its neighbors: the national lottery. Although this country may seem like an unlikely site for a popular game, the Laos lotto is surprisingly popular amongst locals and visitors alike. The national lottery is a popular way for people to win a fortune and help support their family in the difficult times of war, poverty, and economic hardship.
The Lottery is an incredibly complicated process that takes place over time. Unlike most other games where the winner is determined by the person who purchased their ticket first, the Lottery results are based on a number of factors that change as the draws take place over a long period of time. For this reason, it’s important to do your own research on the Lottery to understand how much money you might win.
For example, the winning number for the drawing held on Oct. 14 this year was 509. However, the number disappeared from tickets bought throughout the day of the drawing and was replaced with a different number only 10 minutes before the drawing was scheduled to be broadcast. In some cases, the numbers were even renumbered from their original positions on tickets that had been sold previously to make them look more enticing.
Despite these allegations, the government has defended its lottery as a legitimate and necessary source of revenue to help fund the country’s military. It has promised to cut the number of drawings from two to one a week and make sure that winnings are handled in a transparent manner. It has also pledged to close informal football lotteries and lottery chances that can be purchased through short messaging services, which are viewed as a form of illegal gambling.
But, while the government claims to be resolving these issues, many Lao citizens are skeptical. One man told RFA’s Lao Service that private business interests with connections to the ruling elite run the lottery, and the drawings can’t be trusted. “The state should retake control of the lottery because the private businesses are not doing it well,” he said.
While gambling in general is considered illegal in Laos, the country has several Special Economic Zones that allow it to operate land-based casinos and offshore online casinos. These sites accept players from Laos and offer a variety of games to choose from. Many of them are available in both French and Lao, and they have a reputation for offering good customer service and safe gameplay.
Brandon Lor of Hickory, North Carolina, plans to use his share of the prize to attend UNC Charlotte this fall and study biology. Other winners will spend their prizes on paying bills, buying new cars or travelling. Xia Rattanakone, who grew up in a Laotian orphanage and was adopted by an American couple in 1979, plans to donate part of her prize to the people who raised her.
