INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines —The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) should adopt cashless payment systems to help mitigate the dropping sales of lotto games due to the pandemic, lotto agents appealed on Wednesday.
A lotto agent from Guadalupe, Makati City, who refused to be named, revealed to INQUIRER.net that the strict quarantine protocols imposed across the country as well as the fear of contracting the deadly respiratory disease have prevented people from going to lotto outlets to place their bets, which then led to significant drop in lotto earnings.
“Ang amin, sana magkaroon na ng cashless payment for the lotto outlets para ma-prevent din yung spread ng COVID,” the agent told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.
(Our concern is to have cashless payment for the lotto outlets to prevent the spread of COVID-19.)
“‘Yung sales namin, bagsak talaga siya from the start dahil nga may mga taong hindi na nakakalabas. So, part of it, we see na matutulungan kami kung mayroon tayong cashless transactions,” the lotto agent added.
(Our sales really dropped from the start because most people do not want to go out. So, part of it, we see that it would really help us a lot if we are going to have cashless transactions.)
She said cashless payment systems will allow lotto outlets to reach more clients, thus, picking up lotto games sales.
She said many of their clients–mostly lotto bettors–are inquiring whether they can place their bets online as they fear going outside.
“Maraming nag-iinquire kung pwede magtaya sila kahit nasa bahay lang sila, especially ‘yung mga senior citizen,” she said.
(A lot of people are inquiring if they can place their bets even they are at home, especially the senior citizens.)
“Kung naka-cashless payment system tayo, broader ‘yung makukuha natin na client, pag broader ‘yun, mas magiging mataas ‘yung sales natin,” the source added.
(If we have cashless payment system, we can reach broader area for our clients, and if we cover broad area, our sales will increase.)
Many lotto agents have suffered losses during the enhanced community quarantine period especially when lotto games were suspended and yet their rental fees were not deferred nor waived.
“That’s why many of the lotto agents are now barely surviving in trying to run their outlets amidst the decrease in sales and slow transactions,” she said in a separate statement.
“This is not an acceptable way of doing business! PCSO has a responsibility to all its lotto agents but until now I feel like it’s useless to operate when no one is betting,” she also said.
The lotto agent said a group of lotto agents have sent a letter to the office of PCSO Royina Garma in the first week of October to appeal to approve cashless payment systems for lotto outlets.
They have yet to receive feedback from PCSO, she said.
INQUIRER.net has reached out to PCSO for comment but has yet to receive a response from any officials of the agency.