PCSO files charges over illegal online lottery operations
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has filed charges against four firms.
The Philippines.- The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has taken legal action against four firms for alleged involvement in unauthorised online lottery operations. PCSO general manager Mel Robles has filed charges against Eplayment Corporation, Paymero Technologies Limited, GlobalComRCI International, and Blockchain Smart-Tech Co IT Consultancy at the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office.
The charges include usurpation of authority and violations of Republic Act 1169 and Presidential Decree 1602 (illegal gambling). They are a result of an investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation into the ownership and operation of illicit online lottery games named Pakilotto and Surelotto.
Eplayment, formerly operating under the defunct Pakilotto website, was allegedly soliciting and accepting bets from the public at PHP30 per ticket, a 50 per cent increase compared to the standard PHP20 lotto ticket. Surelotto, a similar mobile app, sold tickets online for PHP25.
GlobalComRCI and Blockchain Smart-Tech allegedly collaborated with Eplayment and technology provider Paymero, using the latter’s software for processing payments and managing financial account information. Robles says the companies misused the PCSO’s name, logo and various lottery games, attracting bets through unauthorised mobile applications and websites.
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