Over P2.4-billion jackpot prizes won in 11 lotto games since December

Over P2.4 billion worth of jackpot prizes in 11 lotto games have been won since December 2023, according to data from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). 

Of the winners, a single bettor claimed the P698 million jackpot prize of the Grand Lotto 6/55 on December 17. 

The 640-million Super Lotto 6/49 jackpot prize was secured on December 16 while the P571 million Ultra Lotto 6/58 prize was won on December 29. 

The P310 million Super Lotto 6/49 jackpot was also claimed on December 19.

On January 24, one ticket holder won the P45.6 million jackpot for Megalotto 6/45.

With such very unlikely odds, the lucky winning streak raised doubts with some senators, according to a 24 Oras report from Mav Gonzales on Thursday. 

“In less than one month 5 laro ang tinamaan. We have to look at this," Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said during a Senate Committee on Games and Amusement’s investigation into the integrity of the lotto games.

“Sabay-sabay (Simultaneously). That’s questionable,” agreed fellow lawmaker Raffy Tulfo.

“Without augmentation ito natural accumulation of jackpot from the bets. Ang theory e  naka-attract na iyan ng bettors. Months muna bago tamaan eh. So itong nangyari last December is really an anomaly. Hindi lang one game, 5 games!” Pimentel said. 

For his part, Tulfo raised the possibility that PCSO is manipulating the lotto results, an accusation its head refuted.

“We assure you that we can never manipulate it. Kaya nga allow kami mag bet. Even I can bet because it’s beyond me,” said PCSO General Manager Mel Robles.

“Betting on all combinations is a right of everybody, it does not guarantee… assuming somebody bet on all combinations, if you can, it does not guarantee that you will get the jackpot by yourself. Our records show, hindi naman binettan lahat ng combinations nung day na tinamaan,” said Robles.

The Philippine National Police - Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (PNP-CICC) will investigate the issue.

“Right now, we don’t have any evidence of fraud,” Drexx Laggui of the PNP-CICC said.

The Senate committee also issued a subpoena for the records of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to check if the numbers of bettors tally with the amount of winnings.

The hearings are are set to continue to look closer at the issue.—Sundy Locus/RF, GMA Integrated News