The record number of Philippine lottery jackpot winners raises doubts about the fairness of the game, he reports CNN. As many as 433 people claim to have the winning numbers, forcing them to split the jackpot among hundreds of people. The outcome of the Grand Lotto raised questions in the Philippine Senate.
The winning numbers were 9, 18, 27, 36, 45 and 54, or part of the table of 9. The 433 winners all claim a share of the jackpot of 236 million pesos (more than 4 million euros). The profit per person therefore “alone” reaches 545,000 pesos (9,425 euros).
Politicians call for an investigation into the results. The Grand Lotto is operated by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) government agency. The agency is also responsible for raising funds for health programs and charities.
“It is a natural phenomenon that people bet on the same numbers and there are a lot of winners when those numbers are drawn,” PCSO CEO Mel Robles said at a press conference on Sunday. Robles therefore calls for the issue to stop.
Gambling is very popular in the Philippines and is regulated by the state. As with lotteries in Europe, Grand Lotto players choose six numbers from 1 to 55. The numbers chosen must match those in the Grand Lotto to win the jackpot.
In July 2019, lottery games were temporarily suspended after then-president Rodrigo Duterte ordered a corruption investigation. The ban was in effect for only a few days. A spokesperson for the president said at the time that automated lotteries are less prone to cheating than other gambling businesses.
