Pasay bettor is first lotto millionaire of 2011

MANILA, Philippines - A resident of Pasay City became the first lotto millionaire this year.

The lone winner, who hit the P61,313,914.80 jackpot of the 6/49 Super Lotto draw the other night, bought the winning ticket with combination 26-20-22-18-11-10 at the Quick Stop Convenience Store in Gil Puyat Avenue in Pasay City, according to Manny Garcia, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) spokesman.

The still unidentified winner has yet to claim his prize at the PCSO main office at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, he added.

The frenzy has shifted to Super Lotto after the jackpot breached the P60-million mark on Tuesday night’s draw, the biggest jackpot so far after the Grand Lotto jackpot craze fizzled out.

As of yesterday, the Grand Lotto jackpot remained at P41 million for tonight’s draw after a balikbayan won the P741-million jackpot prize last November.

Arnel Casas, PCSO central operation manager, said sales of the Grand Lotto have also declined from the record P240 million per draw to P30 million as of yesterday.

The attention is now focused on the Super Lotto, which also generated the second highest jackpot of P347 million in February last year, he added.

Last year’s Grand Lotto frenzy generated total sales of P4.1 billion.

At least 30 percent of the sale went to the charity fund, 55 percent to the prize, and 15 percent to operations.

Sales of lotto tickets normally rise as jackpot prizes go up, Garcia said. – Perseus Echeminada