PCSO to ‘enhance’ existing games to increase revenue

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) does not intend to introduce a new game this year and will focus instead on enhancing existing games to generate more revenue.

“We have to innovate in our strategies to enhance our existing lottery games such as Lotto in connection with the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN),” PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan said in an emailed statement.

The TRAIN law, which took effect in January, imposed a 20-percent tax on PCSO lottery game prizes exceeding P10,000.

Balutan has said that the PCSO is expected to generate P1 billion in monthly revenues from taxes on winnings.

“We don’t see the need to introduce a new lottery game at this time, although this is part of our strategy to increase our revenues,” Balutan said.

At present, the PCSO has five Lotto games — Super Lotto 6/49, Mega Lotto 6/45, Ultra Lotto 6/58, Grand Lotto 6/55, and Lotto 6/42.

It also gas digit games such as EZ2 Lotto, Suertres Lotto, 4-Digit, 6-Digit, and Keno. —Jon Viktor/VDS, GMA News