Amid the vast mountain ranges and verdant plains of this small, landlocked nation, the people of Laos nurture a unique tradition – the national lottery. For the thousands of citizens who partake in this event, it is not only a way to bolster their incomes or invest in their children’s educations – it also serves as a symbol of hope and a link to their shared culture. As the results of the recent draw were announced, excitement and anticipation rippled across the country as those who had the winning numbers celebrated their good fortune, while those whose numbers were not drawn looked forward to the next lottery announcement.
While the excitement of the lottery is undeniable, it must be tempered with the awareness that it is a form of gambling and that luck could easily tilt the scales either way. With that in mind, the Lao government has been trying to address issues of illegal and unregulated lotteries – which are sold through informal football lotteries and short messaging services – that have emerged. On Aug. 17, the office of Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith sent a directive urging the Ministry of Finance, which oversees the country’s legal state lottery system, to work with the Ministry of Public Security to better manage the issue. The directive also calls for drawing times to be reduced from two to one per week, and it prohibits the sale of lottery chances through short messaging services.
Besides the usual sequences of numbers, the Lao lottery is not just about a series of random combinations – it also infuses its system with mystical auras through the inclusion of animals that carry symbolic meanings. This time around, the lucky numbers were 20 for crabs, 21 for weaverbirds, 07 for dogs, and 02 for shells.
Lao Lottery is a free app for Android, published by Infinity App. It’s part of the Home & Hobby category. The app has been downloaded by over 40 thousand users and has an average rating of 4.92 out of 5 stars. The app’s developer, New Concept Consulting, indicated that it is committed to ensuring the privacy of its users.
