PCSO sheds light on 'lone bettor' with multiple wins
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Wednesday, March 13, addressed concerns raised by Sen. Raffy Tulfo regarding a “lone bettor” who had reportedly won lottery games 20 times.
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In a statement, the PCSO emphasized that the list referenced by the senator “should not be interpreted in a manner other than what it is meant to be.”
The list included the name of a person who allegedly won 20 times in one month, according to the senator, had only "claimed lower tier prizes in the digit games" on several occasions, the PCSO explained.
"To begin with, we would like to underscore that those are not Jackpot Lottery Games but only for our Digit Games," it said.
It was noted that Tulfo failed to realize that the same list reveals that there were no winners who won "more than once" for jackpot-bearing games such as Lotto 6/42, Mega Lotto 6/45, Super Lotto 6/49, Grand Lotto 6/55, and Ultra Lotto 6/58.
The PCSO pointed out that despite the multiple claims by one person, it does not necessarily mean they won 20 separate Digit Games.
For certain Digit Games, it explained, winners or their trusted representatives can collect the winnings, particularly for minor prizes, through a process called "paki-claim."
“The real issue here therefore is the claimant, and not the number of times that he supposedly won as what Tulfo seemed to have assumed,” it said.
PCSO cited that some of the reasons for the “paki-claim” scheme are used for reasons such as distance from claim centers, lack of valid identification, or to pay additional expenses since prizes of P10,000 and up must be claimed at the branch offices.
It also clarified that lotto agents often assist winners by claiming prizes on their behalf acting as "Good Samaritans."
However, for jackpot-bearing games, PCSO said that winners are “required” to personally claim their prizes at the PCSO Main Office for security and verification purposes.
“Certainly, our lotto winners' safety, security, and well-being are paramount in all our endeavors,” PCSO added.
Furthermore, the sweepstakes office reiterated its commitment to maintaining “fairness and integrity” in every single draw.