Citizens Are Being FORCED To Buy Lottery Tickets When They Make Bank Withdrawals
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Uzbek's Radio 'Liberty' has been receiving irate calls about compulsory lottery ticket purchases. Photo: Amerika Ovozi
Uzbekistan has lottery fever these days. But it's not entirely by choice, it seems.
AgrobankUzbek's Radio Ozodlik has been receiving some irate calls from citizens, and dubious answers from officials, about the "Farovonlik" (Prosperity) lottery going on in Uzbekistan.
That's because Uzbek citizens inside Uzbekistan and working in Russia have contacted Ozodlik to complain.
They say that when people in Uzbekistan go to pick up the money sent to them from abroad they are required by Agrobank to purchase at least one lottery ticket at a cost of 5,000 soms (a bit more than $2 at the official rate).
After waiting in long lines to get the money sent to them, few want to walk away empty-handed. Photo: rferl.org
"Every time you go to get money you are obliged to get a lottery ticket," a person from the Kokand area said. "If you don't buy a lottery ticket you don't get money. We already have five tickets at home."
One person did complain about not wishing to buy a lottery ticket and was directed to the bank's manager on the second floor.
"He told us a directive came from above that for every monetary transfer one lottery ticket needed to be sold," the person said.
Some teachers in Khwarezm and Bukhara provinces have told Ozodlik they too are forced to play the lottery and have at times have even been given lottery tickets instead of their salaries.
Read More: rferl.org
