(Screengrab from PTV)
MANILA – A bettor bagged the PHP698.8 million jackpot of Wednesday's night Grand Lotto 6/55 draw, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) said Thursday.
In a statement, PCSO general manager Mel Robles said the bettor is the first jackpot winner of the agency's online betting platform known as 'E-Lotto'.
The bettor guessed the winning combination 24-50-52-09-51-03 which carried a jackpot of exactly PHP698,806,269.
"We have a buena mano jackpot winner already on our E-Lotto, just a little over a month from the launch of our E-Lotto platform. It was not a long wait for a buena mano (first time) winner. We hope this will get more of our lotto suki (patrons) to tap the E-Lotto option because the online betting platform will make it easier or more convenient for them to buy their lotto tickets," Robles said.
Robles did not provide further information on the winner, citing privacy and security issues.
He, meanwhile, said the PHP698.8 million jackpot was also the new second-highest jackpot prize won by a single winner in the history of the lotto games in the country, surpassing the PHP640.6 million jackpot which was won by a bettor from Metro Manila on Tuesday.
Since its launch on Dec. 15, 2023, Robles said the E-Lotto has so far recorded 126,429 approved E-Lotto account holders.
Arnel Casas, PCSO assistant general manager for gaming development, said most of the lotto sales still come from their traditional lotto outlets all over the country.
Casas said Wednesday's sales from E-Lotto bets amounted to PHP5.19 million while the traditional lotto outlet sales reached PHP142.34 million.
The primary goal of the E-Lotto is to offer players convenience, security, and transparency, he added.
Robles said the online platform's accessibility will attract more players in the country as well as abroad with the millions of Filipinos working overseas who can play the lotto games from wherever they are overseas.
One of the key advantages of E-Lotto is its ability to curb the proliferation of illicit online number games and ensure that revenue is remitted to government coffers and a part goes to the PCSO's Charity Fund-funded programs.
Players can access E-Lotto through the PCSO website (www.PCSO.gov.ph) by scanning the provided QR code and completing the registration process.
Robles said they expect to launch the E-Lotto application that will be available for download on both Google Play and iOS platforms which they see to further draw more lotto bettors to open E-Lotto accounts.
To date, the payment method for E-Lotto bets is through GCash, but negotiations are underway to introduce additional third-party gateway payments such as banks and e-wallets. (PNA)
