Persistent lotto bettor hits jackpot

MANILA, Philippines—Winning the lotto is all about persistence and never being content with consolation prizes or “almost jackpots.”

A lucky bettor told this to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II on Friday when the man claimed his winnings after hitting the jackpot for the SuperLotto 6/45 game last week.

The 55-year-old father of two picked the numbers 07-14-20-27-38-44, which was drawn on April 25, Rojas told reporters in a text message.

“He became more determined to bet after winning two almost-jackpots in the 10 years he has been betting,” the official recalled being told by the winner.

“That’s why I felt that I would eventually win the jackpot when my numbers get picked,” Rojas quoted the winner as telling him.

The man said he would use his winnings for the education of his children and give some of it to charity.

Meanwhile, the GrandLotto 6/55 jackpot might breach the P100 million mark by Monday night after bettors missed the winning combination drawn on Saturday, according to Rojas.

No one won on Saturday, when the numbers 10-22-25-29-37-55 were picked, the official said. Some 30 bettors came close to the jackpot, though, hitting five of the six winning numbers in their tickets.

The top prize for the GrandLotto on Saturday stood at nearly P94 million.

While players at the GrandLotto have another game day to strike it rich, two bettors at the Lotto 6/42 game hit the jackpot also on Saturday night.

The winners who bought their tickets from lotto outlets in Las Piñas and Laguna will split the pot worth P23.7 million.