P106-million pot in new lotto game

MANILA, Philippines - Even in its last draw, no one managed to take home the jackpot prize in the Power Lotto on Saturday night, carrying over the money worth more than P106 million to the first draw of its successor, the Grand Lotto, tonight.

Larry Cedro, spokesman for the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, said no one managed to correctly guess the winning combination 51-38-04-53-23-(06).

The jackpot prize was worth P106,674,714, which will be used as the carryover pot for the first draw of the new game Grand Lotto.

No one has won the jackpot in the Power Lotto since it was launched in June 2008.

Cedro said the new lotto game will have draws three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. Bettors will choose six numbers from 1 to 55 and pay only P20 for one bet. Each betting card will have six boxes, just like the previous lotto games. Unlike the Power Lotto, which targeted those from classes A and B, the Grand Lotto will be targeting bettors from all social classes.

Cedro said the initial jackpot for the Grand Lotto will be at P30 million, but the launching draw will have a bigger jackpot because of the rolled over prize of the last Power Lotto draw.

The PCSO started selling tickets yesterday for the first Grand Lotto draw tonight.

Cedro earlier said the PCSO decided to replace the Power Lotto to raise more funds because of an increase in requests for medical assistance from indigent patients.

The 6/55 Grand Lotto game will be using a single panel system, which means a bettor only has to choose six numbers in any order for a combination. This is unlike the two-panel system for the Power Lotto, which had a panel of five chosen numbers and another with just one number out of 0 to 9, and appeared to have been “unfamiliar” to bettors.