STL posts P1.87-B revenue in January: PCSO

FILE: Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) (Photo: Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office)

MANILA — The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) announced that the sales of the expanded Small Town Lottery (STL) has posted PHP1.87 billion for the month of January.

This translates to a 103.96-percent increase from PHP916.5 million in the same month last year.

“Our STL continues to raise more funds to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s free medicines and financial assistance to medical patients in the country amid the vilification campaign being waged in the media by vested-interest individuals to destroy the lottery game in particular and PCSO in general,” PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan said in a statement Sunday.

“The increase in the number of operating STL Authorized Agent Corporations (AACs) and in the Presumptive Monthly Retail Receipt (PMRR) primarily contributed to the increased revenue, through the support of our betting public,” said Balutan.

Keno similarly rose by 22.2 percent from P410 million to P501.2 million; while Lotto (6/42, 6/45, 6/49, 6/55, 6/58, 4-Digit, 6-Digit, 3-Digit, and EZ2) was only up by 8.50 percent from PHP2.55 billion to PHP2.77 billion; and no draw for Sweepstakes for this month.

“‘The lotto games are jackpot-driven sales. Ina-associate kasi natin ‘yan sa jackpot prize natin. Kapag mataas ang jackpot natin, malaki din ‘yung nagiging sales (We associated if the jackpot prize is bigger the sales will also bigger),” explained Maritess Jose, Division Chief of the Product Research and Development of PCSO Gaming Sector.

The PCSO Charter, or Republic Act (RA) No. 1169, is mandated “to provide and raise funds for health programs, medical assistance and services, and charities of national character, and these funds are generated from Lotto, Keno, STL, and Sweepstakes.

“We rely on the betting public to raise our revenues by playing more lottery games, especially STL. We don’t get money from people’s taxes, through gaming only. That is why we are protecting the interest of the betting public. If we lose their trust, we will lose our business. They are the source of our revenue,” stressed Balutan.

STL is a regular game by PCSO authorized by the national government through Section 1 of Republic Act 1169.

AACs are corporations or cooperatives duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), respectively that applied, been duly qualified and expressly authorized by the PCSO to conduct STL in a particular area.

As of press time, PCSO has 81 operating AACs. Just recently, the PCSO has terminated two AACs for violations of the STL Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

The STL made history by generating PHP15.7-billion revenue in 2017 (PHP1.3 billion a month) from a mere PHP4.7 billion in one year compared to figures generated during the previous administrations.

Out of the PHP1.12 billion STL shares, PCSO gave PHP314.9 million to the Philippine National Police, PHP78.7 million to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), PHP472.4 million to the cities/municipalities, PHP103.7 million to Congressional District, and PHP150.3 million to the provinces. (PNA)