PCSO to resume lotto games tomorrow

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is all set for the resumption of lotto games tomorrow. These include the jackpot-bearing games Regular Lotto 6/42, Super Lotto 6/49, Mega Lotto 6/45, Ultra Lotto 6/58 and Grand Lotto 6/55.

Royina Garma, PCSO vice-chairman of the board and general manager, said that instructions have been sent to all lotto outlet operators for physical distancing and other health protocols to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

Lotto operators were directed to strictly enforce the “no mask, no play” policy, always sanitize and use money trays. Players are to prepare the exact amount, make use of own pen, observe physical distancing and to sanitize as well.

Garma said that the PCSO was keen on restarting lotto operations to enable the agency to again raise revenues for charity and ensure its capability to provide funding support to the universal health care program and the Malasakit Centers program of the national government.

The PCSO, she added, sought to further increase patronage of the lotto to raise more revenues from the games.

She pointed out that they have rolled back the price of a lotto ticket to only P20, from P24 to draw more bets from patrons. The new ticket price already includes value-added tax.

In 2018, PCSO hiked the lotto ticket price from P20 to P24 to comply with the passage and implementation of the TRAIN Law, which imposed the VAT.

The PCSO is also implementing a fixed prize payout scheme for lotto players who correctly guess five of the six-digit winning combination consolation winners.

Under the new payout scheme, those who will correctly guess five of the six-digit winning combination will not share the jackpot amount-dependent prize, but will all get the same consolation prize amount.

The PCSO had released more than P3 billion to aid the national government’s coronavirus response with their advance release of some P2.2 billion in dividends to the Department of Finance (DOF); the release of P420 million to PhilHealth to help the agency in shouldering the cost of hospitalization of COVID-19 patients; and the release of an additional P447 million as financial assistance to 82 government hospitals across the country.

The PCSO is also continuing its medical assistance program, where financial medical assistance is released to indigents who need help with their hospital confinement bills, chemotherapy, dialysis, and post-transplant medicines.