PCSO seeks ways to make lottery more convenient, accessible

MANILA, Philippines - Lottery is more fun in the Philippines and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is consistently looking for new means that will further make playing lottery and sweepstakes more convenient and accessible to the public.

This was the assurance given by chairperson Margarita Juico, of the PCSO during the joint Asia Pacific Lottery Association and World Lottery Association (APLA/WLA) seminar being held at The Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel in Pasay City.

In her speech Juico acknowledged the challenges being faced by the lottery sector and the importance of  international gatherings not only in promoting closer relations among stakeholders but also in providing opportunity to exchange insight on how best to approach the challenges.

It is the first time that the Philippines hosted the APLA/WLA seminar since the PCSO introduced the lottery game in 1995 and Juico noted that the decision of the international lottery associations to hold the seminar in the country is an indication that they believe on the manner PCSO is running the country’s lottery.

“I’m very proud that all of them (participants) seem to be very satisfied with how we conducted ourselves, how we organized this event,” Juico said in an interview Tuesday.

Juico said the lottery conference would also help the PCSO get new insights about lottery games which it can apply to the Philippine lottery system to further promote the game to the public.

“We are trying to be very dynamic that whatever we learn we apply it here in the Philippines and we will not stop at improving what we have,” she added.

The seminar, which is being conducted by the lottery association every six months, is focused on marketing and sales in a time of rapidly changing technologies and social expectations.

International speakers were among those who participated in the three-day seminar and discussed relevant issues concerning the lottery including digital revolution and its Implications for marketing, the rising popularity of online gambling and the threat it poses and innovative lottery solutions.

PCSO general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas 2nd, noted that the reason why the PCSO chair stated that lottery is more fun in the country is because the Philippines has the most types of lottery games in the world.

Rojas said that unlike in other countries where lotto games are limited, the Philippines though PCSO has provided lotto players different types of lottery games from Grand Lotto (6/55) with a guaranteed minimum jackpot price of P16 million to the easy-two lottery game where players only has to choose two numbers.

The PCSO has introduced these games not only to give the public opportunity from becoming a millionaire but also help fight illegal gambling in the country while raising funds for charity.