Lotto has been around in the Philippines as early as the Spanish era back in the 1800s. Even the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal was known to dabble in the lottery, too. What makes the philippine lottery a favourite pastime? Why is it held so near and dear to the hearts of Filipinos? Everyone is by nature an optimist and the hopeful promise that anyone can win is something that one aspires for, too. 

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The Philippine lottery also inspired movies, tv series, and radio programs that spark ideas on how to win the lotto and how life became better indeed for the instant millionaire. There are neverending stories of a technique, a pattern or even magical ways how to win the lotto. We have gathered the most pragmatic ones for you, dear reader. We also have some interesting trivia, too. Enjoy reading our article on the Philippine lottery and how to win the lotto as well.

Philippine Lottery: How it Started

The lottery in the Philippines can be traced back to the year 1833. As we have cited earlier, the national hero, Dr Jose Rizal himself was a bettor in the Philippine lotto. Stories have persisted that he won and used part of his winnings towards an educational project. 

Jumping to how we know lotto today, The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) was created in 1935 soon after President Manuel L. Quezon approved Act 4130.

The noble role of PCSO is focused on raising funds via lotteries, sweepstakes, races and other means. Only 15% is kept of its net income and more than half — at 55% goes to lottery prizes. The remaining 30% is used for charities, medical assistance/ services and health programs. 

There are also projects that PCSO funds like that of government agencies, the Commission on Higher Education and the Philippine Sports Commission. These causes are also great reasons why the Philippine lottery has been growing ever so strong as time passes by. 

Let’s now dive into the details of the Philippine lotto for both beginner and avid lotto bettors. This will be a great read.

PCSO’s 5 Major Lotto Games

The current day sees a total of five major lotto games under the PCSO’s wing. They have evolved and grown to be very exciting in their own characteristics. 

  1. Lotto 6/42: This is the forerunner lotto draw where one picks a six-number combination from 1 to 42. The odds of winning are 1 in 5,245,786.
  2. Mega Lotto 6/45: This is an evolution of 6/42. Bettor also needs to choose a six-number winning combination from 1 to 45. The odds are higher at winning which is 1 in 8,145,060.
  3. Super Lotto 6/49: Was also born out of the previous lotto game. Choose a six-number winning combination but this time from 1 to 49. The odds of winning is now pegged at 1 in 13,983,816.
  4. Grand Lotto 6/55: Known to have given out the second-largest jackpot in PCSO history (PHP741,176,323). The game was introduced in 2010. You now need to pick a winning six-number combination from 1 to 55. The odds of winning: 1 in 28,989,675.
  5. Ultra Lotto 6/58: The largest jackpot climbed to PHP1 billion in 2018. You need to pick a winning 6-number combination from 1 to 58. The odds of winning are staggering: 1 in 40,475,358.

Lotto Basic Rules

Here are the basic lotto rules in the Philippine lotto. They are easy to remember just as it is very easy to play the lotto game.

  1. You must be 18 years of age or older. 
  2. You must observe and adhere to current pandemic health restrictions to be able to make a bet at any PCSO-authorized retailer, vendor, or agent of PCSO lotto games.
  3. The PHP 20.00 is inclusive of 20% Documentary Stamp Tax (DST)
  4. Players have the sole responsibility for checking the accuracy of the data printed on their ticket(s) including bet type, bet amount, the draw date they want to enter and the numbers they want to play.
  5. You would need to bring the winning ticket untampered, and undamaged to claim your prize. Valid IDs are needed to verify that you are the ticket owner. It’s best practice to have your signature at the back of the ticket as another reference for validation.
  6. Prizes can be claimed according to the total pot:
    • From 300,001.00 up to Jackpot Prize: PCSO Main Office, 2nd Floor
    • From 10,001.00 up to 300,000.00: PCSO Branch Offices in your area or at the PCSO Main Office, 2nd Floor
    • 20.00 up to 10,000.00: Any authorized Lotto outlet or at the PCSO Branch Offices in your area
  7. Prizes above 10,000.00 are subject to 20% tax pursuant to TRAIN Law.

Top 5 Lotto Tips to Increase Your Odds of Winning the Jackpot Prize

There really are no surefire ways to know which winning numbers will pop up on the next draw. The Philippine lotto is purely a game of chance and this also means results are randomly generated.

Despite this disclaimer and factoid, we do have some ways to increase the odds of winning for you. 

  1. Study some results history so you can bet on the frequently drawn numbers. There are various sources available online that feature hot numbers and cold numbers. Some bettors opt to use a combination of both hot and cold numbers and others go purely either hot or cold. The logic behind here is how a “pattern” is possible on these numbers finding themselves in winning combinations. Cold numbers: higher odds of a solo win. Hot numbers: higher odds of winning — despite the possibility of sharing with several like-minded souls.
  2. Bet as a team. Gathering a pool of people to contribute to a higher budget to win more tickets is one good way of increasing the odds of winning. If you are able to purchase more lotto tickets, the more chances it is to win and win together as a pool of bettors.
  3. Go and tap into system play options. There are also options for solo bettors to get the highest possible number of lotto tickets they can purchase. PCSO has made this a ready option to make it easier for bettors who have set aside a considerable amount of money for more chances to win at the game.
  4. Go for Standard Pick. The majority of avid lotto bettors have their own set of numbers which they bet on every single time spanning years. This is one way to increase the odds by striking the same tree consistently so to speak. Some lotto winners share this story, too.
  5. Go for the Lucky Pick. Philippine Lotto is very random, the chances of randomness beget randomness and luck begets luck can be greater than expected. If you’re unable to come up with your own set of numbers have the machine generate this for you. After all, this is how the winning lotto combination is also made.

Most Popular Number Combinations Filipinos Use

At times, the most interesting part of Philippine lotto is the stories behind how winning combinations are born. The recent result of 433 players winning the Grand Lotto jackpot shows how the Pinoy bettor has favourites for their beloved lotto game.

The winning combination didn’t seem random at all: 09-45-36-27-18-54. The clearly divisible by 9 numbers were random enough for 433 players. 

Stories abound of how Pinoys stick to significant numbers as the key to their lotto dreams.This can be birthdays, anniversaries, children’s ages, license plates, dates of first-time experiences or historical landmarks.

Six number combinations can also be sourced from the daily horoscope results, feng shui, random throws of the dice, online number generators and the ever-present lucky pick option at the PCSO betting station.  

Some look to the sky and search for random numbers. Others rely on their dreams to show them the right numbers. Others stick to the same set of six numbers for years awaiting the day that finally they all show up at the same time. 

PCSO Major Lotto Draw Schedule

Every day there is a scheduled draw for major lotto games and minor ones as well. PCSO has the major lotto draws at 9 PM. These draws are streamed live on the PCSO’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. They also do a live broadcast via the government-owned channel PTV4.

Here’s an overview of not just the major lotto games but includes the minor lotto games, too. Take note of when to bet on your favourite lotto game.

That wraps up our article for you on how to win lotto tips. It is indeed a thrilling game especially if the jackpot is getting bigger and bigger. It’s as if the lotto game is calling your name to give it a try. We do enjoy the stories behind them and it’s fun to bet together with friends and family. Just coming up with the numbers is an enjoyable experience in itself. Give the Philippine lotto a go and you might be the next instant millionaire.

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