Lotto woes

Dear Atty. Kathy,

I have a 6/42 lotto ticket which I accidentally sprayed alcohol on, so now the ticket has black marks all over it. I am worried my ticket will not be honored because of the black marks, since it is printed at the back of the ticket that the prizes will not be paid if the ticket is altered, defaced, torn, damaged or has failed any of the validation tests by the PCSO. In case I win, will I still be able to claim my prize using said ticket? Mika

Dear Mika,

The PCSO Rules provide the definition of significant terms which do not refer to a “winning ticket.” Instead, the terms in the PCSO Rules refer to a “winning combination of numbers,” as follows:

Xxx e. “Draw” — the act or process which is used to randomly select six official winning numbers from one drawing equipment containing 42 balls numbered from one to 42.

.... s. “Prize” — the amount payable to the customer for a winning selection contained in a single set of six numbers on a ticket.

.... aa. “Winning numbers” — the six number combination from 1 to 42 drawn and adjudge [sic] as the official winning combination in a particular draw.[42] (Emphasis supplied) xxx

As ruled by the Supreme Court in the recent case of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office versus Antonio F. Mendoza (G.R. 257849, 13 March 2023), at most, a ticket was only defined as “produced by a terminal confirming the selection made by the customer.” Stated otherwise, the ticket is only proof of the fact that the bettor selected the winning combination of numbers. It is the act of selecting the winning combination that entitles a bettor to the corresponding prize.

In view of the foregoing, if you win, you may still be entitled to the payment of the corresponding prize with your said ticket, but you should be able to prove that you actually selected the winning combination, as well as, establish the following: no one else claims the prize; and/or PCSO determines that your ticket is a genuine and authentic PCSO-generated ticket; and/or PCSO certifies that the sole winning number for said date and draw is your documented transaction at the lotto terminal/outlet and on the said date; and/or the transaction details perfectly match what remains visible on your said ticket. Atty. Kathy Larios