Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Alexander Balutan on Thursday said that revenues from the Small Town Lottery have registered the highest in August in monthly collections so far totaling P2.5 billion.
Balutan said that at present, the PCSO has 85 operational Authorized STL Agents nationwide.
“Of the P2.5-billion STL sales, P58,647,466 came from ASAs at the National Capital Region [NCR]; P909,906,154.95 from the Northern and Central Luzon; P540,144,261.75 from Southern Tagalog and Bicol Region; P547,376,618.22 from Visayas; and P484,198,299.48 from Mindanao,” branch operations sector assistant general manager Remeliza Gabuyo said.
STL is a regular game by PCSO authorized by the national government through Section 1 of Republic Act 1169.
Balutan said the ASAs are corporations or cooperatives duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or with the Cooperative Development Authority, respectively, that applied, been duly qualified and expressly authorized by the PCSO to conduct STL in a particular area.
For the first semester of 2018, PCSO has approved 13 more STL agents. The list of newly awarded Authorized Agent Corporations include the Mountain View Games of Chance Corporation both for Provinces of Kalinga and Apayao; Red Carpet Gaming Corporation of Province of Siquijor; Zamboanga Amusement and Recreational Incorporated of Province of Zamboanga Sibugay.
“If there are new STL agents, of course, there are terminated agents for violating provisions in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of STL. This only goes to show that we do not tolerate delinquent agents who are under remitting or who are not really paying their PMRRs,” Balutan said.
As of September 14, six were already terminated namely Evenchance Gaming Corporation in Camarines Sur, Level-Up Gaming Corporation in Cavite City, Eagle-Crest Gaming and Holding Corporation in Iloilo Province, excluding Ilo-ilo City, Marikudo STL Corporation in Antique Province, PF3 Games and Entertainment Corporations in Bohol, and Golden Go Rapid Gaming Corporations in Pangasinan.
“STL has provided ‘legal’ jobs for people who were used to ‘illegal numbers game’. They are the ones who cannot even pass the nitty-gritties of job fairs due to age, lack of education, and physical disability. We have saved them from vices – example drugs – and from being exploited by criminals. STL is giving them and their families a decent life,” Balutan said.
“Instead of tolerating jueteng, it’s better to support and strengthen STL,” Balutan added.
The established and existing STL corporations provide regular medical mission and educational assistance to their towns and municipalities, apart from providing economic activity to the province.