Sales of the expanded Small Town Lottery (STL) and Lotto rose 29.30 percent to PHP20.8 billion in the first four months of the year, compared to the same period last year, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Alexander Balutan reported Friday.

“Our STL earnings are unprecedented for a total of PHP7.8 billion from January to April, with an increase of 101 percent from the same period last year. Of course, Lotto, including Digit Games, are still at the forefront with PHP10 billion and Keno at PHP1.8 billion. The Instant Sweepstakes also rose to PHP727 million,” Balutan said in a statement.

Record shows that although Lotto and Digit Games earned PHP10 billion in four months, their sales decreased by 5.08 percent compared with the same period last year. Keno increased by 12.48 percent.

For the month of April, Lotto earned PHP2.3 billion, 0.22 percent higher than in the same month last year.

“’Yung Lotto games kasi are jackpot-driven sales. Ina-associate kasi natin ‘yan sa jackpot prize natin. Kapag mataas ang jackpot natin, malaki din ‘yung nagiging sales. Tapos meron din tayong three days na walang sales nung Holy Week, kaya apektado talaga ang Lotto sales (The Lotto games are jackpot-driven sale. It is associated with the jackpot prize. If the jackpot is bigger, sales are higher. Also, we did not have sales for three days during Holy Week. This affected Lotto sales),” Balutan explained.

As for STL, it can be noted that compared with last month’s earnings where it earned PHP2 billion, STL only earned PHP1.9 billion this April.

“From 84, we now have 81 STL operators. We have just terminated three Authorized Agent Corp. (AACs) recently due to repeated violations of the STL Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), especially various cases of under-remittance of the Presumptive Monthly Retail Receipt (PMRR),” Balutan said. “We will not hesitate to terminate them.”

Earlier, Balutan warned that there will be a temporary slowing down of revenues from the STL because some AACs were sanctioned and/or terminated for violating the IRR.

The PCSO Board has already opened applications to replace the terminated AACs, and a consultative meeting with the AACs from all over the country was also conducted to discuss some revisions in the IRR.

It also aims to address issues and problems concerning the shortfall of STL operators in their PMRR.

“STL operators are now learning to grasp the rudiments of gaming. While we understand that majority of them are new to gaming, they should pay the correct PMRR. Let us continue supporting President Rodrigo Duterte’s all-out war against anti-gambling. For our part, we will strengthen our IRR to completely eradicate jueteng, masiao, swertres, peryahan ng bayan, and all forms of illegal gambling,” Balutan said.

“All our funds come from gaming. We rely on the betting public to raise our revenues by playing more lottery games, especially STL. We don’t have appropriations from the government. That’s why we are urging the local government units/office to support STL. We can only give what we have,” he said.