PCSO innovations: Billion-peso jackpot, birthday digit game

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) will soon offer more lotto games – one with a guaranteed P1-billion jackpot prize and the other, a two-digit game that gives a bettor an assured chance of winning on his/her birthday.

Royina Garma, PCSO general manager and vice chair, said both games are in the pipeline and would provide new and exciting lottery and digit games for the Filipino betting public.

She pointed out that the lotto game – dubbed as Win-A-Billion – will be up for grabs three times a week with a guaranteed jackpot prize of P1 billion. Consolation prizes range from P100 million to P500 million.

“The jackpot prize there is P1 billion guaranteed... isn’t it exciting?” Garma said at an impromptu press briefing during the turnover ceremonies of P49 million worth of checks to the Commission on Higher Education and local government units (LGUs) of Metro Manila.

Garma said the Win-A-Billion lotto game would require a minimum bet of only P99.

The other game – dubbed as the Birthday Panalo digit game – will offer a loyal player a chance to win on his or her birthday in a year.

The PCSO, Garma added, is just waiting for the green light on both games as the office continues to address legal concerns.

“We’re just waiting for one more legal opinion from the GPPB (Government Procurement Policy Board) of the DBM (Department of Budget and Management). The legal issues are on how we procure the game. Hopefully, we will be able to get a favorable opinion from them. Actually, everything is ready,” Garma said.