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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Solons urge PBBM to junk Camarines Sur gaming firm's STL franchise

Solons urge PBBM to junk Camarines Sur gaming firm's STL franchise

Published Jan 16, 2024 03:27 am

At A Glance

  • Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte, alongside three other lawmakers, are calling on President Marcos to junk the franchise of Evenchance Gaming Corp. as operator of the Small Town Lottery (STL) in the province.
  • The four congressmen pushed for Everchance's franchise revocation owing to alleged "consistent and flagrant" violations". 

Everchance Gaming Corp..pngEverchance Gaming Corp.'s lottery machine (Everchance Gaming Corp.'s Facebook page)

Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte, alongside three other lawmakers, are calling on President Marcos to junk the franchise of Evenchance Gaming Corp. as operator of the Small Town Lottery (STL) in the province.

In a joint letter to Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Melquiades Robles, the four congressmen pushed for Everchance's franchise revocation owing to alleged “consistent and flagrant” violations, which include fronting for illegal gambling and skimming millions of pesos in monthly dues to the government.

Villafuerte, along with Camarines Sur Reps. Miguel Luis Villafuerte, Tsuyoshi Anthony Horibata and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan, insisted that Everchance should be “blacklisted” and made to face criminal and civil charges for its repeated violations of STL’s Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (RIRR).

“We respectfully implore your good Office to permanently blacklist, immediately revoke the Franchise and to prohibit Evenchance from operating in the entire country for its consistent and flagrant violations of our laws,” the letter dated Dec. 27, 2023 read.

“We express full support to the pleas of the People of CamSur, as expressed through Gov. Vincenzo Renato Luigi Villafuerte, who earlier wrote to your good office, and who, in detail, provided clear and convincing evidence of Evenchance's continuous and glaring violations of the RIRR governing STL operations,” it added.

The Bicol lawmakers claimed that Everchance used STL as a front for illegal lotteries, failed to fully and timely remit the PCSO share from collected bets, and manipulated STL sales reports.

The gaming firm was also alleged to have hired minors as bet collectors, and have collected bets from minors.

These violations “warrant the automatic termination of its Agency Agreement (AA) and the revocation of its Authority to Operate (ATO)", according to the four congressmen.

Evenchance’s franchise as an authorized agent corporation of the PCSO for STL in Camarines Sur is set to expire on Feb. 18, 2024.

“As their public servants, it is incumbent upon us to relay their message to you, Mr. President, and to respectfully implore you to heed the pleas of our people,” the lawmakers said in the letter.

“They are all clamoring for immediate revocation of Evenchance's franchise and for the said corporation to be placed [on] the government's blacklist, to prevent it from committing the same violations in other LGUs,” the letter read.

Related Tags

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Camarines Sur Everchance Gaming Corp. Small Town Lottery lray villafuerte
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