PGMC seeks stop to online lotto betting

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Gaming Management Corp. (PGMC), the local lottery arm of Malaysia’s Berjaya Group, is seeking the government’s intervention against an online lottery operator in Luzon.

In a statement, PGMC said it has asked the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to put an end to an online betting operation in Luzon which is similar to jueteng, an illegal number-betting game.

PGMC legal counsel Jose Bernas said a company called World Reliance Trading Corp. (WRTC) accepts bets through text messaging that appears to have the consent or protection of PCSO officials.

WRTC claims it is a PCSO-authorized lotto operator but PGMC said the company’s existence violates PGMC’s exclusive rights to conduct lottery operations in Luzon, the company said.

“It is a dangerous business model to permit because it allows a bookie operation whereby the bookie can opt not to report bets to the PCSO and pocket the money therefore, much like in jueteng and masiao,” the PGMC counsel said to PCSO.

The general information sheet of WRTC showed it has a capitalization of just P480,000.

“While we are not aware that PCSO has officially permitted the operation of WRTC, we believe based on our understanding of all the personalities and the dynamics involved, that WRTC at the very least obtained informal consent from PCSO officials,” Bernas said.

PGMC is wholly-owned by listed holding firm Berjaya Philippines Inc., a unit of Malaysia’s Berjaya Group.