The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is the government organization that runs any and all lottery-style games in the country.
Their current roster of games includes five pari-mutuel games, two-digit lottery games with fixed payouts, and several Small Town Lottery (STL) games.
Below are the real-time lotto results for all major jackpot-bearing games today:
PCSO Lotto Results
What is PCSO Lotto?
PCSO Lotto is a lottery game show, aired daily on the People’s Television Network (PTV). It has been airing since March 8, 1995.
The game show is where all the national lottery results are aired, including STL games for areas that do not hold their own local draws.
You can find the latest up-to-date results for all of PCSO’s lottery games on lottopcso.com. You can also check the results online via PCSO’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts.
Selling of lotto tickets commences at 7:00 AM each day. The daily cut-off for purchasing your tickets is at 8:00 PM.
Types of Lotto Games in the Philippines
Lotto 6/42
Mechanics: Lotto 6/42 is the flagship game of the PCSO Lottery line-up. Players must pick six numbers in their lottery ticket, from 1 to 42, which is then stamped and validated for inclusion into the draw.
During the televised draw, 42 balls will be placed in a blowing machine, called a “Mega Gem”. The Mega Gem for this game contains six chambers. Six balls are blown from the pool of 42 into the six chambers to form the winning 6-number combination.
You win the jackpot if you correctly guess the six numbers, in any order. If you guess fewer numbers, you still get consolation prizes. You have to get at least three numbers right to get the lowest consolation prize of PHP 20.
You can also play your chosen combination for multiple draws, from two to six consecutive draws. Input how many draws you want to play with your combination in the “DRAW SYS” panel of your play slip. This option is available for all pari-mutuel PCSO lottery games.
Your odds of hitting the jackpot here is 1 in 5,245,786.
Mega Lotto 6/45
Mechanics: In this game, the general rules remain the same as in the Lotto 6/42. The only difference is that, instead of 42 total numbers in the Mega Gems, there will be 45.
You will still need to guess six numbers from the draw correctly, in any order.
You win the jackpot if you guess all six, with lesser prizes the fewer numbers you guess correctly.
The lowest consolation prize is PHP 30 for players who hit three correct numbers.
Your odds of hitting the jackpot here is 1 in 8,145,060.
Super Lotto 6/49
Mechanics: You select six numbers from a pool of 49. The rules for winning remain unchanged; if you guess all six correctly, you win the jackpot. If you guess fewer numbers correctly, you receive one of the consolation prizes.
You must hit at least three numbers to receive the lowest consolation prize of PHP 50.
Your odds of hitting the jackpot here is 1 in 13,983,816.
Grand Lotto 6/55
Mechanics: You select six numbers from a pool of 55. Just as in all of the main PCSO Lottery games, you win the jackpot outright if you correctly guess all six numbers that come up during the draw.
The minimum threshold to win a prize is three numbers, which pays out PHP 100.
Your odds of hitting the jackpot here is 1 in 28,989,675.
Ultra Lotto 6/58
Mechanics: As with all the previous Lotto games mentioned, the goal here is also to match all six numbers from the draw, in any order.
The lowest amount you can win is PHP 100, which is paid out when you hit three numbers correctly.
Your odds of hitting the jackpot here is 1 in 40,475,358.
6D Lotto
Mechanics: Select six numbers from 0 to 9 and mark them on your play slip. You can play the same combination for multiple draws by inputting how many draws you want to play in the column marked “AMT”.
You win the jackpot if you hit all six numbers drawn, in the exact order they were drawn.
Consolation prizes are given to players who hit at least the first or last two numbers of the winning combination, in the order they were drawn.
If more than one player wins the jackpot, it is divided equally among all winners, paid out in proportion to their bets.
If no one wins the first prize, it is carried over to the next draw’s prize pool.
Your odds of hitting the jackpot here is 1 in 1,000,000.
4D Lotto
Mechanics: Similar to the 6D Lotto game above, 4D Lotto is played with 10 balls, numbered from 0 to 9. Instead of choosing six numbers, however, you only have to select four.
The “Mega Gem” for this game contains four chambers, which means one number can be drawn four times.
You win the jackpot if you hit all four numbers drawn in the order they were drawn. Consolation prizes are PHP 800 for hitting the last three numbers in order, and PHP 100 for hitting the last two numbers in order.
Your odds of hitting the jackpot here is 1 in 10,000.
4D Lotto is available only for Luzon residents.
Swertres
Mechanics: Also known as 3D Lotto, Swertres is played by selecting three numbers from 0 to 9.
Similar to the mechanics of the games above, you win the jackpot if you hit all the drawn numbers in the order they were drawn.
Because there are three chambers in the Mega Gem” for this game, it is possible for one number to be drawn three times consecutively.
You can also choose to play the “Rambolito” system, which will be available just under the “SYS BET” section of your play slip.
EZ2 Lotto
Mechanics: EZ2 Lotto (or 2D Lotto) is a fixed-payout game where you have to guess two numbers in the order that they are drawn. There are 31 balls that can be drawn. Because there are two chambers in the Mega Gem used for this game, one number can be drawn twice in this game.
You can also choose to play the “Rambolito” system, which will be available just under the “SYS BET” section of your play slip.
Your odds of hitting the jackpot are in 1 in 465.
STL Pares
Mechanics: Select two numbers from 1 to 40
This game uses a Mega Gem with just one chamber. As a result, you cannot draw the same number more than once.
To win the jackpot, you must hit the two numbers in the order they were drawn.
STL Swer3
Mechanics: Select three numbers from 0 to 9. You win if you guess all three numbers drawn, in the exact order they were drawn.
This game uses a three-chamber Mega Gem, which allows you to hit the same number three times.
STL Swer2
Mechanics: Similar to Swer3, this game is also played using balls with numbers from 0 to 9. The key difference with this game is that you have to guess just two numbers, instead of three in Swer3, in the exact order they were drawn.
The game uses a two-chamber Mega Gem, allowing you to hit the same number twice in one draw.
How to Play the Lotto in the Philippines
If you are intrigued about playing the PCSO Lotto but don’t know where to begin, don’t worry—we have your back.
We provide a short primer for the general process of playing PCSO Lotto games below. These tips apply to any lotto game offered by the PCSO.
- Visit the nearest PCSO Lotto outlet. Buy your ticket and select your preferred combination of numbers. Different types of games require you to pick anywhere from two to six numbers. For instance, you have to pick six numbers for most of the national Lotto games; 4D Lotto requires you to select just four.
- Alternatively, you can select Lucky Pick (LP) on your ticket. The computer will then choose six random numbers on your behalf.
- You can indicate the number of consecutive draws you want to play with your combination by marking accordingly under the “DRAW SYS” heading of your ticket.
- Pay for your ticket at the cashier and wait for them to scan your ticket into the system. After scanning, you will receive your final ticket, which will contain all the numbers you chose. Take special care of this ticket—you never know when you might win.
- Wait for the draw. You can watch the draw live on TV, or listen to it via radio. You can also visit any of the PCSO social media profiles (Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) to see the results of the draw using your smartphone for access on the go.
Check out our guide: How to Win Lotto in the Philippines
What to Do if you Win the Lotto?
If you find out you’ve won the lottery, don’t start counting your winnings just yet.
Winning a lottery doesn’t happen every day. You definitely have enough time to savor your good fortune in the future. For now, the first order of business is to take your sweet time in order to ensure that all your ducks are in a row.
Here are our four quick tips to get yourself one step closer to your jackpot:
Double-Check Your Ticket
Check and re-check your ticket as well as the draw results to make sure you indeed have the winning ticket in your hands.
It can often be hard to think straight in these moments, so have a trusted friend or family member check for you as well.
Sign Your Ticket Immediately
Signing your ticket not only proves that you’re the winner, but also prevents anyone else from claiming victory in your name.
If you want to be extra-thorough, have a lawyer or broker witness you sign your ticket to ensure its authenticity.
Protect Your Ticket at All Costs
Make sure to keep your winning ticket safe and secure. That means you want it to be as near to mint condition as possible. PCSO does not accept damaged or overly wrinkled tickets.
Because PCSO Lotto tickets can be damaged by exposure to oil, heat, or water, the best way of storing your winning ticket is via a safe deposit box in your bank or any other similarly secure location.
If this isn’t an option, place your tickets inside something that locks (like a safe) or anywhere that is secure and out of reach from the elements.
Don’t Claim Your Prize Immediately
You might be tempted to quickly cash in your lottery winnings and start living the lavish life posthaste. But remember that all lotto winners have up to one year before their prize is forfeited, so take a deep breath and make use of all that extra time.
Wait for all of the hype about you to die down—we suggest at least two months, more if the jackpot you won made national headlines. This will give you more time to plan how you’ll pick up and handle your money without getting caught unprepared or overwhelmed by crowds of people looking to snag a piece of the pie for themselves.
Where & How to Claim Lotto Prizes in the Philippines
You can claim prizes of up to PHP 10,000 at any of the 7,700 authorized PCSO Lotto outlets nearest to you.
For prizes of PHP 10,000 to PHP 300,000, you will have to trek to the nearest PCSO branch.
If you are lucky enough to win a jackpot, the only place you can claim it is at the PCSO Main Office, which is located at 605 Conservatory Bldg., Shaw Boulevard cor. Princeton St., in Mandaluyong City.
The documents you will need to claim your prize are a community tax certificate, two valid photo IDs, and the original winning ticket.
Once your ticket is verified successfully, the PCSO Treasury Department will issue you a check for the lump sum within an hour.
Things to Keep in Mind Before Playing Philippine Lotto
You have to pay taxes on your lottery winnings
Note that the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law mandates a 20% tax on any lottery winnings higher than PHP 10,000.
This amount will be automatically deducted from the jackpot.
Only play with money you can afford to lose
Always remember that playing the lottery is gambling, and gambling is always supposed to be fun.
One of the easiest ways to do that is to never gamble with money you cannot afford to lose.
Your odds of winning a jackpot are incredibly low. Even more so if you plan on taking down a major prize well into the seven-figure range.
Make sure your essentials, such as rent and groceries, are covered before you even think about playing the Lotto. If you manage your budget correctly, you will be able to have fun while not compromising on your personal well-being or the well-being of your family and friends.
The lottery ticket should be in good condition when you claim the prize
As we mentioned earlier, the PCSO is understandably strict with the condition of winning tickets. Because massive amounts of money are at stake, the PCSO has to make sure everything is in order before they pay out any winnings.
Try to make a habit of preserving all your PCSO Lotto tickets, at least until the draw is over.
Trust us: there are countless ways of losing in a lottery, all of which sting, but losing because you damaged your winning ticket is the worst way to lose. It will haunt you for the rest of your life.
Lotto tickets can be degraded by prolonged exposure to the elements, in addition to random tears and creases.
Try to keep your winning ticket as close to perfect as possible. Any stains, mutilations, or erasures that obscures any number on your ticket can make it invalid.
The most important thing is to make sure your ticket is fully readable. Once your ticket’s serial number is validated manually, your ticket is deemed valid. Only then can you finally claim the jackpot as your own.
