2009 lotto sales in Visayas, Mindanao rise

More Filipinos in the Visayas and Mindanao are getting in the numbers game, with lotto sales there increasing by almost a fifth to P7.69 billion last year. Listed Pacific Online, the exclusive online lotto provider of the state-owned Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in the Visayas and Mindanao, traced revenue growth to an aggressive roll-out of terminals, whose number went up by 16 percent to 1,748 last year. “The significant jackpots during 2009 further spurred the interest of the betting public, thus increasing sales of the PCSO," it told the Philippine Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Meanwhile, sales of Keno — a gambling game similar to bingo — almost tripled to P88.67 million in 2009 from P32.3 million a year earlier. Pacific Online through its subsidiary, Total Gaming Technologies, which holds the equipment lease agreement for nationwide Keno, rolled out 66 more betting terminals to add to its 34 terminals in 2008. "Increase in roll-out is planned for 2010 to further expand Keno operations," Pacific Online said. — GMANews.TV