MANILA, Philippines - After a series of no-winner draws, Grand Lotto 6/55, with a whopping P299.7-million jackpot, finally fell Wednesday to two bettors in Bataan and Southern Leyte.
Wednesday's draw of 6/55 generated a revenue totaling P162,611,980, or 8,130,599 bets.
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), after the draw on Sept. 12 in the evening, sent out text messages informing PCSO officials and journalists that 6/55's 30th draw was won by two bettors in Luzon and the Visayas.
PCSO General Manager Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II said Thursday the two lucky punters bet on the same numbers (05-17-25-26-49-52) that matched the winning combination as drawn, 25-52-26-05-49-17.
He said they will share equally the P299,897,496 prize.
A jackpot is won even if the bet numbers are not in the same order as the drawn combination as long as a bettor has them all.
"Natutuwa kami sa PCSO sa dalawang nanalo ng Grand Lotto jackpot na kulang-kulang P300 million. Sigurado kami na uunlad ang buhay nila at mabibiyayaan ang kanilang pamilya at mga anak (We in the PCSO are happy for the two winners of Grand Lotto of about P300 million. We are sure their lives will improve and their families and children will be benefited," said Rojas.
The PCSO official, who is also concurrent publicity manager, said the winners may claim their money anytime at the agency in Pasay City during working days and they do not have to hire any person to accompany them.
"We assure them of their security and confidentiality, Rojas added. "The winners may come with their espouse or close relatives if not married," he added.
Rojas said 81 6/55 bettors will get P150,000 as consolation prize for guessing five of the winning numbers.
Arnel Casas, manager of Central Operations Department (PCSO-COD), said P299 million jackpot started with the P30 million minimum jackpot prize (MJP) on July 7 this year, and fell to bettors on its 30th draw.
Casas said the PCSO introduced Grand Lotto in April 2010 as replacement for Power Lotto. He added that 6/55 will start on Saturday with the P30 million MJP.
More details from the charity agency's website showed that 6/55 produced its first "Instant Millionaire" on May 12, 2010, with the winner pocketing P134 million.
From that period on until Sept. 12, 2012, 6/55 surrendered to only 18 jackpot winners, the biggest of which is P741.17 million on Nov. 29, 2010, won by a 60-year-old Filipino engineer working in the United States.
In order for a bettor to win a Grand Lotto jackpot, he or she must defy its odds of one in 28.99 million.
