Sign of the times

Pati ba naman sa lotto, may price increase?

From ABS-CBN News:

PCSO to jack up prices of lotto bets

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office will increase the minimum lotto bet to P20 effective August 15, ABS-CBN News reported Tuesday.

Arnel Casas, assistant manager of PCSO’s Central Operation Department, said the price adjustment will only affect the “jackpot-bearing” games including 6/42, 6/45, and 6/49.

Casas said the PCSO intends to double the jackpot prize of the three numbers games as well as double the charity contributions of the department.

He said the PCSO has been deliberating on the price increase since the games were first introduced on March 8, 1995.

The increase, meanwhile, raised speculations of a boom in the numbers racket “jueteng” once the price adjustment takes effect.

Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio said the numbers racket is the Filipinos’ cheaper alternative to lotto. He said people can place jueteng bets for as low as P1.

The government created lotto to combat the increasing popularity of jueteng. The numbers racket was partly blamed for President Joseph Estrada’s downfall in 2001 after he allegedly pocketed millions of pesos in jueteng payola.

Members of President Arroyo’s family were also linked to jueteng operations in the country but a Senate investigation into the issue proved fruitless after several witnesses recanted.

Casas downplayed the possible resurgence of jueteng after the lotto price adjustment.

“Meron naman kaming EZ 2. Iyon po ang pantapat sa jueteng. Hindi po nagbago ang presyo (We have the EZ 2 game. This game was created to compete with jueteng. The game’s minimum bet [remains P10]),” he explained.

Aside from EZ 2, Casas said the PCSO is currently studying the expansion of small-time lottery (STL) into other provinces. He said the STL game is still in the experimental stage.

Various sectors, including bishops groups, have openly protested the government’s introduction of the STL game. Reports said the STL game is being used by big-time gambling operators as front for their jueteng operations.

What’s next? Poll tax?