Binay betting on lotto, too

MANILA, Philippines - Betting on the lotto is not confined to the poor and miserable, or to middle-class workers aspiring for their first Ferrari.

Tycoons and CEOs also bet on the lotto, and with a Catholic bishop saying it’s not a sin to pray for the jackpot, Filipinos now feel they can have heaven on earth.

Tonight’s lotto jackpot of over P320 million is the great equalizer - enticing many not just with the prospect of instant wealth but also with the thrill of courting luck and winning it. Just like hundreds of thousands of Filipinos, Vice President Jejomar Binay also bet on tonight’s 6/55 Lotto jackpot, reportedly using the birthdays of his children and grandchildren as his lucky combinations.

Binay is perhaps feeling lucky these days, with the high approval rating given him by Filipinos in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. Aides say Binay, who collected sop for a relative’s piggery as a young boy and had no shoes to wear on his college graduation from the University of the Philippines, is the type to share his good fortune - a typically Filipino trait. Filipinos usually like to attract good luck by vowing to share their windfall, calling the money they share “balato.”

Just like Binay, janitor Pedring Pascua used his children’s birthdates in the hopes of winning tonight’s fat jackpot and said that he will not keep all his winnings, if ever. He will share them with his siblings.

Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez yesterday said there is nothing wrong if the faithful pray to win the 6/55 grand lotto jackpot draw tonight, which has already breached the P300-million mark.

“Since lotto is a game of chance everyone could have the opportunity to hit the luck. Luck is God’s will,” Iñiguez told radio station dzBB.

The bishop, however, cautioned the faithful against performing rituals such as wiping lotto tickets on faces of saints, which is now being done by some bettors in some churches.

He said seeking God’s help must only be done through prayers and not through improper rituals.

According to Iñiguez, some lotto players had been performing rituals in a bid to win tonight’s jackpot prize of the lotto, the biggest since the online lottery game was launched in 1995.

Aside from rituals, lotto fans have also maintained certain number combinations of birthdays, anniversaries and other significant event in their lives.

The latest winner of the P152-million jackpot prize of the 6/49 Super Lotto game last week had maintained a six-number combination for the last 10 years.