'Lucky Dream 4' arrested for holding illegal online raffle on Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — Luck has run out for the savvy organizers behind "Lucky Dream 4" after police and representatives of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) on Wednesday arrested 16 individuals in connection to their illegal raffle activities on social media.

The individuals, who reportedly run Facebook Page "Lucky Dream 4," were caught while livestreaming their 50th raffle event from an office in Biñan, Laguna.

PAGCOR Chairperson Alejandro Tengco said that the arrest is part of PAGCOR's efforts to combat illegal online gambling by collaborating closely with law enforcement agencies.

The group behind Lucky Dream 4, which has 111,000 Facebook followers, has been conducting live raffle games and offering second-hand motorcycles as prizes, according to a PAGCOR press release, said PAGCOR Senior Vice President Raul Villanueva.

The group has reportedly earned over P8 million from selling up to 50,000 tickets per event, each priced at P40.

Most members of the group are youth, with the oldest being only 27 years old, Villanueva said.

“The Lucky Dream 4 group is obviously engaged in an illegal online gaming activity. Negosyo na ang ginagawa nila. They need to secure a license from PAGCOR if they want to operate an online gaming platform,” Villanueva said. — Cristina Chi