Lottery tickets are legal in the Philippines under the regulatory framework established by Republic Act No. 1169, enacted on June 18, 1954. The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office shall have a Board of Directors composed of five members who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointments (1). The Office is authorized to hold charity sweepstakes horse races and lotteries under regulations promulgated by the Board, with tickets printed by the Government and considered government securities for purposes of penalizing forgery or alteration.
In 1995, the PCSO launched the very first On-Line lottery in the Philippines during the incumbency of Chairman Manuel L Morato (2). Similar to successful games run in the United States, Europe and Australia, the on-line lottery better known as lotto brought a new dimension of fun and excitement for the betting public. The computerized gaming initially featured Lotto 6/42, where players choose any set of 6 numbers from 1 to 42 and win when these numbers are drawn in any sequence during the draw date.
"The Board of Directors of the Sweepstakes, with the approval of the President of the Philippines, shall promulgate rules and regulations for the holding of lotteries; shall fix the number and price of the tickets for the same and the number of tickets usually given gratis to the ticket vendors."
The gross receipts from ticket sales are disposed according to law, with 58.5 percent applied to payment of prizes including those for owners and jockeys of winning horses, 6.5 percent allotted to provinces and cities for health and charitable work, and the remaining 25 percent appointed by the Board of Directors for institutions engaged in charitable, relief, and health work (1). Batas Pambansa Blg. 42 amended the PCSO Charter in September 1979, raising the Charity Fund allocation from 25 percent to 30 percent of net sales while 55 percent goes to prizes and 15 percent for operations, with all unclaimed prizes going to the Charity Fund.
Source:
https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1954/ra_1169_1954.html
https://www.pcso.gov.ph/About/History.aspx
Last updated: 16-10-2025 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.
