People in Ho Chi Minh City are flocking to buy lottery tickets after two recent Vietlott jackpots.

A lottery ticket seller said sales had rapidly increased from VND2m (USD90) a day to VND10m. Especially on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday when the draws take place, revenue often doubles or triples on these days.

"People want to try their luck and select unique numbers. Some like their date of birth, others choose their phone numbers," a seller said.

Most retail locations on Truong Chinh or Thanh Thai streets have seen a surge in the number of customers. Vietlott's tickets also appear and attract a lot of people in many provinces in the central region and highlands as buyers resell their tickets for profits.

People flock to buy Vietlott tickets in HCM City

Everyone hopes they will be the next winner as the prize increases. For the first draw, Vietlott prepared VND12bn (USD545,500) and in the next 93 days, the prize went up to VND92bn. After that, the prize returned to VND12bn and after 16 days, the prize is already up to VND64.8bn.

Sellers in Tan Phu District, said traditional lottery sales were being hit.

"I could sell 150 to 200 traditional lottery tickets each day but after two people won over VND156bn (USD7m), I can only sell around 100 tickets. I have to buy more computerised tickets and I'm selling both of them," Nguyen Thi Hanh, a seller in HCM City said.

Traditional lottery companies in the southern region are calling for help from the Ministry of Finance as tough competition and unfavourable weather are badly affecting their revenues.

Ho Ba Tinh, an economic consultant with the Tai Viet JSC, said people preferred the computerised lottery because of the higher prizes. In addition, people can choose their favourite numbers on computers easily.

He went on to say the prize value could be even higher as Vietlott was expanding to the north. News about winners reported on media also helped advertise the lottery.

Le Dang Doanh, former head of the Central Institute for Economic Management, said he approved of the new computerised lottery. "High prizes will attract lots of customers and it may help ease the illegal gambling which is our problem recently," he said.

The lottery was launched in mid-July and Nguyen Thi Anh Dao from the southern province of Tra Vinh won over VND92 billion (USD4.14m) in October. In early November, Vietlott confirmed that another Vietnamese person won a VND64.8 billion (USD2.94 million) prize.