Tulfo: Lotto bettor bets P90M at 3 outlets, wins over P600-M jackpot

Senator Raffy Tulfo on Monday raised in a Senate hearing the case of an individual who won over P600 million in the lotto after seeming to invest P90 million in bets at three lotto outlets.

He expressed concern that the "investment" around the time jackpot prize was raised by P500 million to over P600 million.

Tulfo shared the information at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement on the recent winnings in the conduct of lotto draws by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

"Parang nag-invest siya ng P90 million—tig P30 million each outlet na siya'ng may-ari, outlet A, outlet B, outlet C. This is in the Binondo area," Tulfo said.

"He or she owns these three outlets... Dito so ABC na outlet tinaya niya tig-P30 million sa System 12," he added.

(It's like he invested P90 million—P30 million each in each outlet that he owns, outlet A, outlet B, outlet C. This is in the Binondo area. He or she owns these three outlets... He bet P30 million each on his or her outlets A, B, C using System 12.)

"Ang nakikita ko lang problema, 'yun bang bago siya mag-invest ng P90 million, saka tinaasan yung prize fund. 'Yung jackpot, dinagdagan ng P500 million to make it P600 million para ma-accommodate 'yung kanyang capital at may tubo pa siya," Tulfo said.

(The problem I see is that the prize fund was hiked before he invested P90 million. The jackpot was raised by P500 million to make it P600 million to accommodate the capital and generate profit.)

PCSO general manager Mel Robles said the jackpot prize wasn't immediately won to which Tulfo disagreed.

"Who would invest P90 million in a game, which he's not certain to win?" Tulfo said.

Robles said one can only be sure of winning the lottery "if you bet on all the odds."

"Even then, kung may makapareho kayo ng taya problema yon," Robles said.

(Even then, one would have a problem if another person would bet on the same combination.)

Robles said the jackpot wasn't immediately won, causing it to grow further.

"Kaya nag-snowball pa nga 'yung iba...May snowballing po kasi 'yan eh. 'Pag hindi tinamaan for the day, dadagdag po talaga yan," Robles said. 

(This is the reason why there is a snowball effect on some... There's a snowballing effect. If a jackpot is not won for the day, there will be an increase in the prize.) 

Tulfo didn't mention the lotto game and the date when over P600 million was won.

However, a lone winner bagged the Super Lotto 6/49 jackpot worth P640,654,817.60 on Jan. 16, 2024 with the combination 26-33-14-48-06-42.

The following day, on Jan. 17, 2024, another lone winner bagged the jackpot in the Grand Lotto 6/55 draw worth 698,806,269.20 with the combination 24-50-52-09-51-03.

The PCSO over the holidays increased the minimum jackpot in some lotto games to P500 million.

At the hearing on Monday, Robles denied that there was one bettor who won 20 times in a span of one month as Tulfo said last week.

"Not in our experience," Robles said.

Robles said there wasn't even a winner who won twice in a month.

He explained to the Senate panel that the winner in a lotto draw may ask someone else to claim his prize.

Robles said that there are winners in far-flung areas, those who don't have IDs or fare to go to the lotto branches who ask an agent to collect their winnings.

"That’s what I meant that the claimant is not necessarily the winner, although we have to put them as winner," Robles said.

"This is a bearer instrument, [they are presumed] to be the winner," he added.

However, Tulfo bared four more cases of multiple winnings.

Tulfo said one person who won 37 times in 2023 and amassed a total of P8.325 million from three-digit lotto games.

The person has won the same amount of P225,000 eight times in July, nine times in August, two times in September, four times in October, 10 times in November, and four times in December.

"Nandoon 'yung uniformity na every month tinatamaan niya 'yung tig-P225,000 na premyo, okay? August tig-P225,000, nine times. This amounted to 8.3 million...So ano po probability na one person will hit many, many times in a period of six months with the same amount?" Tulfo asked.

(There is this uniformity of winning P225,000 every time... This amounted to P8.3 million... So what is the probability that one person will hit many times the same amount in a period of six months?)

Robles explained that the claimant of the prize was not the winner, but the agent of the lotto outlet in Butuan, Agusan del Norte.  

"'Yan po 'yung sinasabi ko na lotto agent na pinakikiusapan ng kanyang mga bettors. When he goes to the branch  kasi P10,000 and below kaya pa po ýan ng ng outlet, P10,000 and above up to P300,000, he has to go to the branch," Robles said.

"Ang branch po normally nasa kapitolyo yan eh. So kung nasa malalayo kang lugar, ang logical and practical way is to talk to your...suki na pakisabay na ito," he added.

The PCSO general manager said they invited the person that Tulfo said won P225,000 multiple times in 2023, but the latter is not available.  

PCSO Agusan del Norte Branch Manager Misael Hamak echoed Robles' explanation and said that lotto winners prefer the agent to claim their prizes on their behalf because the lotto outlet is not accessible for them. —NB, GMA Integrated News