Public scrutiny of PCSO lotto games continues

A mathematician and OCTA researcher has noted that consecutive wins are improbable but not impossible.

The Philippines.- Questions continue to be raised about the transparency of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) lotto games. Senator Imee Marcos has called for its temporary suspension due to perceived improbabilities in the frequency of winners.

Amid media scrutiny, Guido David, a mathematician at the University of the Philippines (UP) Institute of Mathematics and OCTA Research, told DWPM Radyo 630 that consecutively winning the jackpot in the PCSO lotto games was unlikely with the probability of winning again decreasing with each consecutive draw, but not impossible.

He noted the probabilities of winning the jackpot in different draws: one in 5 million for the 6/42 draw, one in 14 million for the 6/49 draw and one in 29 million for the 6/55 draw. He recommended a focus on auditing processes rather than relying solely on statistics to investigate any suspicions, noting that statistical analysis alone cannot prove any discrepancies in the draw process.

Questions over PCSO lotto games began after the publication of a digitally edited photo showing an official handing a cheque to the sole winner of the PHP43.8m (US$783,000) Lotto 6/42 jackpot of December 28 2023. The move raised suspicions among players. The PCSO admitted that the image had been altered but said the aim had been to protect the identity of the lottery winner. However, some politicians have gone as far as to demand the resignation of PCSO general manager Melquiades Robles.