Lottery stakes: TN loss is Kerala gain in border areas

THE Thiruvonam Bumper' lottery tickets are selling like hot cakes in the state, with officials expecting record sales to ease the strain on the exchequer. With more than two weeks left for the draw, on September 20, over 40 lakh tickets, each costing ₹500 have been sold across the state till Saturday.

- A SATISH

Interestingly, purchases are being driven by districts that share a border with Tamil Nadu, where lottery is banned.

Residents from the neighbouring state cross the border to buy tickets from agents in bulk. Some vendors travel in the opposite direction, in trains, and deliver the tickets at stations around the state.

Tickets are also despatched by Speed Post and courier to regular buyers. Walayar, on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, encapsulates this brisk business, driven by lottery stalls that dot both sides of its key artery.

These shops are decked up, with tickets tastefully arranged. The area is sparsely populated, with forests and a dam dominating the landscape. But incomes are through the roof, says a local resident.