In the heart of Southeast Asia, the small nation of Laos nurtures a unique tradition that brings communities together – the national lottery. For the citizens who partake, it is not just a game of chance; it is a symbol of hope and a vital part of their shared culture. But recently, that tradition has been tarnished by allegations of cheating and rigging.
Officials of the communist country’s three-day-per-week lottery have been manipulating winning numbers in order to avoid large pay-outs, sources in Laos told RFA’s Lao Service. For example, a number that appears to be a lucky animal—such as 09 (buffalo), 01 (crab), or 03 (spider)—can suddenly disappear from ticket purchases, and other numbers—like the winning number 509 on Oct. 14 this year—appear on tickets for only an hour before the drawing and then change to a different number, the source said.
The problem of rigged results has led to an outcry from the public, but government officials have said that they are taking steps to restore confidence in the lottery. One of these steps includes making it easier for people to verify that their winning numbers have been properly recorded by the lottery’s computers. Another is allowing state and local governments to operate their own lottery systems in order to compete with the private business interests that run the national lottery.
In addition to affecting lottery sales, the scandal has eroded public trust in the government, which should be regulating the lottery. Moreover, it has created an environment where the lottery has become a magnet for corrupt business practices, with private business interests controlling a significant portion of the industry. The government should resume control of the lottery, and ensure that the drawings are fair to all participants.
Laos is not the only place where private business interests are tainting the integrity of the national lottery. A caller from Laos to RFA’s Lao Service reported that the majority of the companies responsible for running the lottery are owned by persons with connections to the ruling elite, and there is no transparency about how much those businesses pay to the government each year to manage the national lottery. The Laos national lottery should be 100 percent managed by the government, the caller said.
Dearest Sister, a film by Nong Hak and Amphaiphun Phimmapunya, follows the story of a visually impaired woman who is visited by ghosts that tell her her winning lottery numbers. Though the premise may sound preposterous, this is a well-made movie that turns the supernatural premise into class critique and psychological horror with plenty of atmospheric suspense. It is a good choice for an evening of entertainment. (Reported and translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh and Edith Nguyen for RFA’s Lao Service.) Copyright 2006 Radio Free Asia.
