PCSO extends STL operations for three months

MANILA, Philippines - The operation of the Small Town Lottery (STL) has been extended pending President Aquino’s approval of the implementing rules and regulations for the PCSO Loterya ng Bayan (PLB).

General manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II said the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board has approved the extension of operations of 19 STL firms.

The extension was recommended as the immediate termination of STL operations will result in the proliferation of illegal bookies and illegal number games.

The STL corporations whose contract expires in June are allowed to continue operations from July 1 to Sept. 31, 2013.

Among the STL gaming firms  granted an extension are Sunset Bay Resources, Pilar Bataan; Royal Viva Resources, San Jose Occidental Mindoro; Ramroid Gaming Corp., Calamba, Laguna; Diamond Gaming Research Corp., San Jose and Batangas Enchanced Technology, Batangas; Pirouette Corp, Quezon; Lake Tahoe Gaming Corp., Apalit, Pampanga; Super Lucky Beagles, Inc., Silay City, Negros Occidental; Iloilo STL Gaming Corp., Iloilo City; Sun Cove Corp., Apalit, Pampanga; Northrails Resources, Moncada, Tarlac; Lucky Pick Amusement, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte; Golden Matrix Gaming, Apalit, Pampanga; GIPC Gaming Corp., Iba, Zambales; GTC Prime Ventures, Jaen, Nueva Ecija; Strong Peaks Gaming Corp., Cauayan City; Random Choice, Santiago, Isabela; Golden Community Gaming and Amusement Corp., Isabela; and Oceana Gaming Corp., Sorsogon.

Rojas said the Loterya ng Bayan and other legal numbers games are expected to draw the  people away from jueteng and other illegal numbers games.

“The PCSO will introduce legal alternative to illegal numbers game that will bring in government revenues, create employment in the provinces and  generate charity funds for health relative assistance to the poor and needy,” he said.

Based on PCSO records, PLB applications were filed for Pangasinan, Bulacan, Zambales, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Quirino and Cagayan.

At least seven applications were filed for Pangasinan province alone, its three congressional districts and the cities of San Carlos, Urdaneta and San Carlos.

For Southern Tagalog, applications were filed for PLB in Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon, Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Sorsogon.

A gaming corporation from the National Capital Region also filed PBL applications for the cities of Makati, Marikina, Pasay, Quezon and Taguig.

For the Visayas and Mindanao, Negros Occidental tops the list with applicants from the six congressional districts, including the cities of San Carlos, Silay and Sipalay.

Applications were also filed for Calape in Bohol, Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City, Southern Leyte, Iloilo and Zamboanga City.

PCSO is launching the new numbers game to replace the STL, which has become a legal front for jueteng.

The new game is expected to generate at least P10 billion in revenue in one year.