Amid a landscape of rugged mountains and verdant plains, the nation of Laos nurtures a unique tradition – the lottery. On October 30, 2566, a new chapter unfolded as the lottery results were announced, stirring a spirited wave of anticipation among its participants. But the results of this latest lottery are more than a simple announcement of winning numbers; they are an interplay of numbers and animal symbols, a cultural spectacle that embodies human fascination with luck and fortune.
Xia Rattanakone, who grew up in a Laotian orphanage in the turbulent 1960s and ’70s, plans to donate some of the $55 million she and her husband won to the people who raised them. She and her husband also plan to retire from their jobs – his as an aide in Seattle public schools and hers as a temporary worker at Nintendo of America – and travel the world.
In France in the 18th century, lotteries were one of the main resources for funding religious congregations. They helped build or rebuild about 15 churches in Paris, including St Sulpice and Le Pantheon. The amount of money generated by lotteries quickly surpassed the sums allocated by the French monarchy for religious purposes. This led to a struggle between the monarchy and Church over control of the lottery system.
The Quebec city of Montreal launched a local lottery in 1969, but the federal government blocked it because it violated a state law against gambling. However, the mayor refused to cease operations, and the lottery continued to draw players from across Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia. In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Montreal.
