Court grants DFNN plea on wireless lotto

MANILA, Philippines - Publicly-listed technology solutions provider DFNN Inc. has obtained an injunction from the Quezon City Regional Trial Court preventing the state-owned Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) from tapping other companies for wireless lotto betting.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday, DFNN said the order is immediately executory.

The injunction was sought by DFNN pending arbitration proceedings between it and the PCSO in connection with the cancellation of the equipment lease agreement (ELA) dated April 9, 2003.

Under the ELA, DFNN was supposed to provide PCSO with the wireless technology for nationwide lotto betting.

In its order dated March 19, the Quezon City RTC said DFNN has “sufficiently shown that the unilateral cancellation of the ELA was without case, the issuance of the PCSO resolution approving text betting as well as PCSO’s act of  negotiating with third parties regarding the implementation of the said project compounds the violation of the rights of DFNN.”

The RTC said DFNN will” suffer grave and irreparable injury should  PCSO be allowed to implement its resolution.” 

“Hence, this Court finds DFNN’s application for issuance of an interim of protection by way of writ of preliminary injunction proper,” it added.

Mobile lotteries are predicted to be big money spinners in the future and are attractive to run due to their relatively low overhead costs compared to paper-based counterparts.  It has the advantage of surpassing other traditional purchasing methods by which players can make their purchasing decision whenever and wherever. Players can simply self-pick the lottery numbers or quick-pick the numbers through their handsets.