House leader wants ‘highly unusual’ 6/55 Grand Lotto result investigated

PCSO LOTTO. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — A leader of the House of Representatives has asked the lower chamber’s committee on games and amusement to investigate what he described as a “highly unusual result” of a 6/55 Grand Lotto draw where 433 bettors won.

House Minority Floor Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan filed House Resolution No. 463, calling on the panel to conduct an inquiry on the October 1 draw of the 6/55 Grand Lotto involving P236-million pot.

Each of the 433 winners stands to receive P545,245.24 – although subject to a final tax of 20 percent under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

But several math and statistics experts commented that the probability of 433 people guessing the winning combination in multiples of 9 is very unlikely. For example, the winning six-number combination in the October 1 draw of the 6/55 Grand Lotto was 9-18-27-36-45-54.

READ: 433 bettors bag P236-million Grand Lotto jackpot

With this, Libanan believed there is a need to investigate the particular lotto result to erase doubts and speculations regarding the numbers game.

“The highly unusual result of the Oct. 1, 2022, 6/55 lotto draw has provoked widespread social media and traditional media discussions on whether fraud has attended the draw, despite reassurances from PCSO that all its games are conducted to the highest standards of transparency, honesty, and fairness,” he said in his resolution.

“There is an urgent need for Congress to protect and ensure the integrity of the PCSO’s lotto operations, considering their contributions to government coffers and to the economy,” he added.

Libanan further expressed fear that controversies like this may affect PCSO’s image and might stop people from playing the lotto – which will affect PCSO workers and its franchisees, agents, tellers, among others.

“Over the years, the lotto draws have also inspired millions of Filipinos to buy tickets in the hope of winning a life-changing amount of money […] the PCSO’s lotto operations also provide economic and employment to small lotto agents, tellers and terminal technicians, among others,” he noted.

A statistician of the University of the Philippines interviewed by the Philippine Daily Inquirer said having that many bettors winning the 6/55 Grand Lotto is a one-in-28,989,675 chance considering the possible six-number combinations.

The high odds have given rise to speculations that the high number of winners were a coordinated move. But the PCSO said that winning bettors may have only stayed loyal to their pet numbers – insisting that no fraud happened.

READ: PCSO says Grand Lotto winners were ‘loyal to their numbers’ 

The PCSO even uploaded on Monday photos showing winners claiming their prizes at its offices.

Over the weekend, senators called for a similar probe also to allay suspicions about the PCSO game.

READ: Minority senators seek probe on ‘extraordinary’ Grand Lotto draw

KGA