Are you ready for the P500-million lotto jackpot?

The Filipinos’ dream of winning a P500-million jackpot in lottery has moved closer to reality with the introduction in the country of Powerlotto, the latest and biggest lotto game now being offered by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

Dr. Larry Cedro, PCSO spokesman, said the agency introduced Powerlotto in the Philippines with the aim of attracting more affluent Filipinos to “spread the charity virus” by patronizing lottery games meant to generate funds for the poor.

“Powerlotto is our way of encouraging the more affluent sectors of our society—the ABC class— to join the charity bandwagon. They can now help our less fortunate countrymen and, at the same time, look forward to winning hundreds of millions of pesos through lottery games,” Dr. Cedro pointed out.

He estimated that the PCSO would generate an additional P149,940,000 in Charity Fund during the operation of Powerlotto in the first six months alone.

Dr. Cedro noted that it is easier for Powerlotto to reach the P500-million jackpot mark since the initial jackpot prize offered is P50-million. The initial jackpot prize will be added to the next draw in case there is no winner in the previous draw.

“In case there is no jackpot winner for nine consecutive draws, which is possible as seen from experiences in 6/49 Super Lotto draws, the jackpot prize will balloon to P500-million—the biggest in Philippine lotto history,” Dr. Cedro explained.

“And it (jackpot) may even go beyond the P500-million mark in case there are no jackpot winners in succeeding draws,” he added.

The biggest jackpot ever in the 13-year-history of online lottery in the Philippines— amounting to P249,005,120.40— was won last March 30 by a laborer from Quezon City.

That jackpot prize for the 6/49 Super Lotto draw reached the P249-million mark after nobody picked the right number combination in the past 16 draws. The March 30 draw was the 17th since the first was held in January 17.

To play the Powerlotto, a player with a minimum bet of P50 will have to choose five numbers from 1 to 55, plus one “power number” from 1 to 10. In order to win the jackpot, the bettor must pick the first five numbers in any order and the exact “power number.”

Aside from the jackpot, a player may also win P700,000 if he picks the first set of five numbers in any order (5+0); P50,000 for four numbers and the power number (4+1); P8,000 for the first set of four numbers (4+0); P4,000 for three numbers and the power number (3+1); P600 for the first set of three numbers (3+0); P400 for two numbers and the power number (2+1); and P100 for one number and the power number (1+1).

Powerlotto will be drawn once a week together with the other regular lotto game line-up scheduled on Tuesdays. Selling of Powerlotto tickets began last June 2 and the first draw is set on June 17.

Dr. Cedro said the Powerlotto is patterned from America’s favorite game, the PowerBall Lotto.

At present, the PowerBall is being played successfully in 18 different countries such as: United Kingdom, Spain , Greece, Austria, Chile, Romania, Luxemburg, Belgium, Australia, Portugal, France, New Zealand, Switzerland, Ireland, Israel, Italy and Serbia.

The POWERLOTTO tickets are available in any Authorized Lotto Outlets Nationwide, at the PCSO Provincial District Offices or at the PCSO Main Office at E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, in Quezon City.