PCSO Lottery Draw

PCSO Lottery Draw
Created by Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office
Directed by Emmanuel Alvarez
Carmelo Vidanes
Starring various
Narrated by Erik Imson
Country of origin Philippines
No. of episodes n/a (airs daily)
Production
Running time 15–30 minutes
Release
Original network PTV
Picture format 480i SDTV
1080i HDTV
Original release March 8, 1995 – present
External links
Website

PCSO Lottery Draw is a game television program in the Philippines. Produced by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), it has been aired on the People's Television Network (PTV) since March 8, 1995, and involves the PCSO workforce consisting of more than 2,000 employees nationwide. The program consists of drawing of paramutual and fixed priced lottery games, sweepstakes games, and since November 15, 2017, it added the centralized draws of the Small Town Lottery (Pares, Swer3 and 2-Digits) for the provinces who are not conducted their own local STL draws.

The program is also simulcast over Radyo Pilipinas 1 738 kHz, Radyo Pilipinas 2 918 kHz, DZME 1530 kHz, and Brigada News FM stations and PCSO and PTV's websites, Facebook pages and YouTube accounts.

Draw procedure

Before every draw day begins with the airing of a clip in which the blowing machines, called "Mega Gems", and the balls used in each game are inspected to ensure that everything is fair and nothing is concealed in the machines and balls for the draw day. The inspection is undertaken by a panel of judges, composed of a neutral set of people not connected with the PCSO. Representatives from the Commission on Audit oversee the proceedings and the draw to see that everything goes according to protocol. The pre-draw procedure is as follows:

  1. The panel inspects each of the Mega Gems to be used in the draws for a draw day, including the interior of the blowing chamber and the blowing mechanisms. This is to make sure there is nothing hidden in the Mega Gems that will invalidate the entire draw, such as hidden balls or obstructions. The Mega Gems are also given a dry run using a set of unmarked ping-pong balls to test if they would work as they should come the actual draw.
  2. The balls to be used in each game are stored inside briefcases. There are usually three cases of balls to be used on each game, distinguished by either numbers or uppercase or lowercase letters. The panel randomly chooses one set using cards and its chosen card is shown. In the lot games such as the Super Lotto 6/49 and EZ2 Lotto, the balls are of one color, and each set may have a different color. In the digit games such as the 6-Digit Game, no matter the set chosen, each digit from 0 to 9 has a different color, and each set is identical.
  3. After one set of balls has been chosen for a game, each of the balls is weighed to see if they have the same or almost the same weight using a digital scale. This part of the procedure is covered by a separate video camera, which will record any abnormal circumstance, such as ball switching or a ball which either is overweight or is too light, should it comes out.
  4. After the balls for the game are weighted, they are loaded by hand by the head of the panel into the loading bays of the game's Mega Gem. This is the only first of the two times human intervention is needed as each Mega Gem is operated using a remote console stationed a small distance away from the unit. The second, never shown but implied, is the removal of the balls from the Mega Gem after each draw show has ended and the results of the draws are recorded. In the case of digit lottery games, the removal of balls is the third time, as the drawn balls are also adjusted (see below).

Each Mega Gem, depending on the type of game, as already mentioned, is operated by automation. The Mega Gem loads the balls from the loading bays to the draw chamber, after which the blower starts to mix the balls. In the number lottery games (excluding the Power Lotto), the machine draws six numbers one-by-one and is inserted into the inner left loading bay. In machines used in the EZ2 Lotto and the digit lottery games, each number/digit in the combination is drawn from its own chamber. Once a ball is drawn, it is locked into place by slats placed over the pipe leading from the drawing chamber. Once the necessary number of balls has been picked, the Mega Gem is turned off.

The Mega Gem used in Power Lotto (mentioned below) was a compound version of the two types of Mega Gems stated above. The chamber which drew the main five numbers has its ball loading bays placed at the back, but had a separate tube where the five drawn number balls are directed. It was operated the same way as the Mega Gem used in the other number lottery games. The chamber that drew the power number was the same one used as those in the 6-Digit Game. The first chamber was first turned on to draw the five main numbers. Afterwards, the first chamber was turned off and the second chamber was then switched on to draw the power number. After the power number had been drawn, the entire machine was turned off.

Balls typically have numbers all over their outer edges. The numbers on balls used in number lottery games (except the EZ2 Lotto), are read on the spot without the need of touching them. In the digit lottery games and the EZ2 Lotto with top drawing Mega Gems, the balls are adjusted to clearly show the numbers drawn. Because of the nature of the Power Lotto Mega Gem, each of the methods mentioned were applied in each of the machine's two chambers.

The Games

The PCSO Lottery Draw currently hosts a total of eight games, each with their own combinations and mechanics of play.

The number lottery games are:

A typical outlet for purchasing tickets.
The card for playing Super Lotto 6/49.
A provincial PCSO office (Gapan City, Nueva Ecija Provincial District Office).

Pari-mutuel games

  • Lotto 6/42 is the flagship lotto draw, first introduced in 1995. The game was initially introduced in Luzon, with a separate game for the Visayas and Mindanao geographical regions as a single unit. The two draws were later combined into a nationwide one in 2005. As the name states, a six-number combination is chosen from a lot of numbers from 1 to 42. To win a prize, at least three of one's chosen numbers must match with to those of the six winning numbers. The odds of getting all six winning numbers, and thus the jackpot, are 1 in 5,245,786. Draws are held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
  • Mega Lotto 6/45 is a more improved version of the 6/42 draw and is also introduced as nationwide one. As the name states, a six-number combination is chosen from a lot of numbers from 1 to 45. As with 6/42, at least three of one's chosen numbers must appear among the six winning numbers to win a prize. The odds of getting all six winning numbers are much larger at 1 in 8,145,060. Draws are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
  • Super Lotto 6/49 increases odds and makes winning more difficult than the previous two, this time with a lot of numbers ranging from 1 to 49. Draw mechanics are the same. The odds of winning are now higher at 1 in 13,983,816. Draws are held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
  • Grand Lotto 6/55 was introduced in April 2010. Draw mechanics are the same as the previous three, but this time, the number lot is from 1 to 55. The Grand Lotto draw and currently uses the larger of the two-chamber Power Lotto Mega Gem. While its minimum jackpot is pegged at ₱30,000,000, it had the Power Lotto's ₱108,000,000 final jackpot as its jackpot prize on its first draw. The odds are at 1 in 28,989,675. The largest jackpot of this game was won at ₱741,176,323 (US $16,721,406) by a single bettor from Luzon on November 2010.[1] Draws are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
  • Ultra Lotto 6/58 is the most recent of all the lottery draw. It was launched on February 7, 2015. Its first draw was on February 8, 2015. Draw mechanics are the same as the previous four, but this time, the number is from 1 to 58. Draws are held on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Its minimum jackpot is PHP50,000,000.00.[2][3] The odds are, at their highest, at 1 in 40,475,358. On October 14, 2018, two bettors split the ₱1,180,622,508 (US$21,862,177) jackpot, the largest won.

There are also three digit lottery games. Unlike the number lottery games, the digits must appear in "exact order", i.e. in the order of the numbered chamers from which each digit is drawn:

  • A 4-Digit Game is held with a four-chambered Mega Gem, each drawing a digit from 0 to 9. To win, one must have at least the last two digits of the winning combination. The odds of winning are 1 in 10,000. It is held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
  • There is also a 6-Digit Game, which is drawn the same way as the 4-Digit Game, but with six digits from a six-chambered Mega Gem. To win, one must have at least the first or last three digits of the winning combination. Odds in winning are increased at 1 in 1,000,000. Exclusively played in Luzon, it is held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Fixed payout games

  • Suertres 3 Lotto is a portmanteau of the Spanish loanwords suerte, "luck", and tres, "three") which uses a three-chambered Mega Gem, each drawing a digit from 0 to 9. The Suertres 3D Lotto is drawn 3 (three) times daily, Monday-Sunday. The nationwide draws are the morning (11AM), afternoon (4PM) and evening (on PTV) (9PM). This game perhaps is the most popular among the fixed payout games, garnering a solid following in social media especially through varied Facebook groups.

A multitude of websites also have been created and are updated regularly every after the morning, afternoon, and evening draws are recorded. Most of these websites also try to compile and pseudo-analyze results based on prevailing results and techniques used by bettors of the game- this even though results are drawn in random.

  • EZ2 Lotto uses a two-chambered Mega Gem, each drawing a number from a lot of 1 to 31, thus ensuing a possibility of the same number appearing twice in a combination or a Double. To win the jackpot, one must have the two numbers in exact order as they appear in the chambers. The odds of getting exact order are in 1 in 961. The odds in LLAVE order are 1 in 465. Therefore 465 numbers are LLave (Rambol) (01-02, 02-01). The EZ2 Lotto is drawn 3 (three) times daily, Monday-Sunday. The nationwide draws are the morning (11AM), afternoon (4PM) and evening (on PTV) (9PM).

Current hosts

  • Erik Imson
  • Romi Sison
  • Jasper Espino
  • Dindo de Viterbo
  • Sherrie Pamintuan
  • Pilar Pinga Cruz
  • Queenie Balita
  • Fe Celebrado III
  • Rizza Carla Roxas

Previous hosts

  • Tonette Escario
  • Dr. Jun Dequina (moved to ABS-CBN)
  • Shelly Anne Busque
  • Joel Pastores
  • Trixie Abogado
  • Kathy de Leon Villar
  • Tina Revilla
  • Timmy Cruz
  • Charisse de Castro

Draw coordinators

  • Ariel de Ocampo
  • Eugene Muyot

See also

References

  1. ↑ Morelos, Miko L. (November 29, 2010). "Lucky bettor from Luzon wins P741-M Grand Lotto jackpot". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
  2. ↑ PCSO launches Ultra Lotto 6/58 Feb. 7.
  3. ↑ PCSO holds first Ultra Lotto 6/58 draw today.
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