The announcement of the lottery results stirs a flutter of anticipation across Laos, where winners rejoice in their good fortune and those who didn’t win look forward to the next draw. The lottery is more than a game for the people of the small Southeast Asian nation, however: it’s also a symbol of hope, a national tradition that brings together communities with its unique blend of numbers and cultural elements.
In addition to providing a source of income, the lottery offers a glimmer of possibility in a country where economic opportunities are scarce. The money a winner receives can be used to bolster household income, start a business, or even put toward their children’s education. For a woman who grew up in an orphanage during the turbulent 1960s and ’70s, it will help her find her birth family in Laos and bring back a little piece of the country she left behind when she moved to the United States as an adult.
But the lottery isn’t without its problems, according to RFA sources in Laos. In addition to the aforementioned corruption, the officials overseeing the lottery are believed to be rigging the drawings in order to avoid large pay-outs. RFA’s sources say that on Oct. 14 this year, the winning number 509 mysteriously vanished from tickets purchased throughout the day, with the number appearing only as a five on those purchased after the drawing had occurred. The lottery is also widely considered to be dominated by private business interests with connections to the nation’s ruling elite, and there’s no transparency into how much these businesses are paying for their concession.
