FILE PHOTO: THRIVING TRADE Millions of pesos are collected daily by Small Town Lottery (STL) collectors nationwide. The Philippine Charity Sweesptakes Office estimated that at least 400,000 work as STL bet collectors.—DELFIN T. MALLARI JR.
LUCENA CITY – Minors are being used to collect bets for the illegal operation of Small Town Lottery (STL) called “bookies.”
A police anti-illegal gambling operation on Tuesday morning, led to the arrest of suspected bookies bet collector Mark Anthony Fermalino as he was soliciting bets in Barangay Ibabang Dupay around 10:30 a.m., a report of Senior Supt. Osmundo de Guzman, Quezon police director, said.
Two other boys, aged 15 and 17, who were with Fermalino were also collared while also gathering money bets.
Recovered from them were STL collection forms, ballpens, calculator and money bets amounting to more than P1,000.
All arrested suspects failed to produce legitimate identification cards issued by Pirouette Gaming Corp., the licensed STL operator in the province, which showed they were engaged in the illegal operation of the state-sanctioned lottery.
Fermalino was detained at the city police jail and facing charges of violation of the amended law on illegal gambling.
He was also slapped with separate criminal charges for using children.
The two boys were brought to the city social welfare office for custody.