MANILA, Philippines -- The jackpot prize for the 6/49 SuperLotto has soared to P216 million, the biggest in the history of the country’s online lottery game, after bettors failed to pick the winning six-number combination in Thursday’s draw.
The prize money could increase by P10 million to P12 million by Sunday, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) spokesperson Larry Cedro told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Friday.
Sixteen SuperLotto draws since January have failed to produce a winner but a few were able to pick five of the six numbers in the winning combinations, according to the PCSO.
Sales on Thursday alone for the 16th draw totaled 8,813,820 tickets.
None of those who bought those eight-million-plus tickets picked the winning combination 7-21-24-27-42-43.
Cedro said 129 lotto bettors each won P56,000 for picking five of the six winning numbers.
Another 8,316 lucky bettors pocketed P1,000 each for getting four of the six numbers. More than 150,000 other bettors each won P100 by hitting three numbers.
The biggest jackpot ever won in the 6/49 lotto was P202 million, which six individuals won on October 17, 2002.
The PCSO also benefited from the increase in the prize money. It reaped P176,276,400 in sales last Thursday alone.
Cedro said ticket sales had not declined despite the PCSO’s decision last December to raise the price of a 6/49 ticket to P20 from P10.
“There is still an increase in the number of bettors despite the increase in the ticket price. They still continue to patronize the 6/49 lotto,” he said.