The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) rolled out the Philippine Lottery System (PLS) on Oct. 1, 2023, replacing the two separate lottery systems it had used nationwide for lotto outlet ticket sales1. Before the rollout, the PCSO ran the Philippine Gaming and Management Corp. (PGMC) system in Luzon and the Pacific Online Systems Corp. (POSC) system in Visayas and Mindanao1. Under the PLS, a single centralized lotto system is run by one operator, the PGMC-POSC-International Lottery & Totalizator Systems, Inc. (ILTS) joint venture, combining the same two lotto systems providers1.
PCSO general manager and board vice chairman Melquiades Robles said the change improved efficiency and sped up ticket selling at outlets nationwide1.
"After more than 25 years of the lotto games, we have finally upgraded our lotto systems with the PLS."
The PLS contract signed with the PGMC-POSC-ILTS joint venture provides for 6,500 fixed and customized lottery terminals nationwide for the lotto games over five years1. The new system has been certified as compliant with World Lottery Association security control standards, including ISO 270011.
Sales figures reported by the PCSO after the rollout:
| Item | Figure | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Jackpot top-up across all lotto games | P89 million | Oct. 30, 20231 |
| Record single-day lotto sales | P171 million | Dec. 19, 20231 |
| Lotto revenues generated in 2023 | P55 billion | As of November 20231 |
| Projected 2023 lotto revenues | P60 billion | Full year 20231 |
| Charity fund allocation at that projection | P18 billion | 20231 |
| 2024 revenue target | P70 billion | 20241 |
| Charity fund at 2024 target | P21 billion | 20241 |
The P89 million jackpot top-up covered the Regular Lotto 6/42, Mega Lotto 6/45, Super Lotto 6/49, Grand Lotto 6/55 and Ultra Lotto 6/58, and was tied to the PCSO's 89th founding anniversary1. The P171 million single-day record came four days after the "Handog Pakabog" Christmas lotto promotion was announced on Dec. 151. At that launch the PCSO raised the minimum guaranteed jackpot of Ultra Lotto 6/58 and Grand Lotto 6/55 to P500 million each, then expanded the promotion to set Super Lotto 6/49 at P500 million and Regular Lotto 6/42 and Mega Lotto 6/45 at P100 million each1.
The PCSO charter mandates a 70:30 split, with 70 percent going to the prize and operational fund and 30 percent to the charity fund1.
What it means for players
The PLS changed the back-end system that prints and records lotto tickets at outlets, not the games themselves. The five lotto games named in the report, Regular Lotto 6/42, Mega Lotto 6/45, Super Lotto 6/49, Grand Lotto 6/55 and Ultra Lotto 6/58, continued under the new system1. Players buying at outlets deal with the same terminal-based tickets, now issued through a single nationwide system rather than one system for Luzon and another for Visayas and Mindanao1. The PCSO said the PLS carries World Lottery Association security certification including ISO 270011. Details of how the system change affects ticket validation, claims or outlet coverage beyond the 6,500 terminals have not been reported.
What happens next
The PCSO began a one-year test run of its web-based lotto betting system, known as e-lotto, on Dec. 15, 2023, allowing bets and e-ticket purchases by computer or laptop with payment through GCash e-wallets1. The e-lotto application was to be downloadable on Google Play and iOS platforms in 2024, and the PCSO said negotiations were underway to add third-party payment gateways including banks and other e-wallets1. The PCSO set a conservative revenue target of P70 billion for 2024, a P10 billion increase it attributed to the sales boost expected from e-lotto1.
Sources1 sources
- PCSO rolls out digital transformation | Philstar.com, philstar.com
