Do you want to play lotto but don’t have the time and energy to visit the local PCSO lotto outlet? Fret not because you can now play your favorite lotto games online using your smartphone or computer! This is made possible by PCSO’s newest innovation – the E-Lotto.
If you’re a frequent lotto bettor like me, you know how time-consuming it can be to play the lottery. Aside from visiting the lotto outlet, you may also have to wait in line particularly during the evenings and the big jackpot days. It would be nice if the lotto outlet is within walking distance from your home or office; unfortunately, this is not the case for most people in the suburban and rural areas.
To address this problem, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has unveiled E-Lotto, an online platform that allows Filipinos of legal age to bet on popular lottery games such as the 6/45 MegaLotto and the 6/49 SuperLotto. Using only a computer or smartphone with an Internet connection, you can buy lottery tickets and bet on your lucky numbers for a chance to become a millionaire.
Since everything is done online – from registering your account to selecting the numbers to purchasing lotto tickets – you no longer need to leave the house just to try your luck with swertres and other lotto games. As long as you have a decent smartphone and a GCash account (which is how you’ll pay for your lotto tickets), you can play the lottery anytime and as many times as you want.
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What is the PCSO E-Lotto?
Online lotteries are not exactly new. In fact, in 2012, Illinois became the first US state to offer lottery tickets through the Internet, and in 2018, Ohio followed suit with a digital lottery platform for mobile phones. In Japan, bettors can purchase Takarakuji tickets through the Internet.
The E-Lotto is an online lottery platform that allows Filipinos 18 years old and above to bet on lottery games of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) through the Internet. The E-Lotto is available as web (browser-based) version or as a mobile application. Prior registration is required before betting on lottery games through E-Lotto, and each user has to undergo a mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) verification process in order to purchase tickets.
These are some of the salient features of the PCSO E-Lotto platform:
- Register for a free E-Lotto account via mobile number or email,
- Verify your account by undergoing KYC and submitting a valid ID,
- Play and bet on popular lottery games such as 6/42 Lotto, 6/45 MegaLotto and 6/49 SuperLotto,
- Cash in or add money to your e-wallet (e.g. GCash) or bank account,
- View your latest transactions and purchase history, and
- Check the latest PCSO lotto draw results and winning number combinations,
The PCSO E-Lotto is indeed an easy and convenient way to play the lotto in the comfort of your home. Now the question is, how do you register to E-Lotto and play lotto online? Our comprehensive, step-by-step guide will take you from initial registration process until the successful purchase of digital lotto tickets.
How to Register to PCSO E-Lotto
As previously mentioned, the PCSO E-Lotto is available as a website or as a mobile app. For the purpose of this guide, we’ll use the E-Lotto website but if you prefer the mobile app, feel free to do so. The entire process is more or less the same.
Step 1: Open the PCSO E-Lotto website at https://elotto.pcso.gov.ph. If you want to use the mobile app instead, click this link to download the APK file and install it on your device (for Android only).
Important: Upon accessing the E-Lotto website or mobile app, be sure to allow the browser or app to know your location. You will not be able to register successfully if location access is blocked.
Step 2: On the E-Lotto website or app, click the “Register” link as shown on the screenshot image below.
Read the PCSO statement and scroll down until you reach the bottom of the page. Check the box indicating your agreement to the data privacy statement and the general terms and conditions. Press the “Next” button.
Step 3: There are two ways to register to E-Lotto: using your mobile number or via email address.
For mobile number registration, just follow these steps:
- Enter your 11-digit cellphone number.
- Press the “Send” button and then enter the one-time password or OTP that was sent to your mobile number.
- Provide a PIN which you will use login to your account. The PIN should consist of 6 – 12 numbers or letters without any special characters. Important: For security reasons, avoid using a PIN that is easy to guess, such as your name or birthday.
After entering your mobile number, OTP and PIN, press the “Register” button to proceed to the next step.
Step 4: The next step in the E-Lotto registration process is to enter your personal and contact information.
First, check the box for “Please complete the following information to proceed…”
After that, enter or provide the following required information:
- Full Name – Enter your first name, middle name (optional), last name, and suffix (if applicable).
- Gender – Select either “Male” or “Female.”
- Birthday – Indicate your date of birth in YYYY-MM-DD format. For example, if your date of birth is June 20, 1990, select “1990-06-20.”
- Email – Enter your email address.
Note: If you entered wrong or incorrect data, you can still modify it by tapping the appropriate field (e.g. “Full Name”) and then inputting the correct details.
You can also click “Other Information” to provide the following optional information (these are not required and you can still complete your registration without them):
- Address,
- Occupation,
- Tax Identification Number, and
- Monthly Fixed Income
Once all the required fields are completed (as indicated by green check marks for each field), press the “Submit” button to continue.
Step 5: Review your provided information and double-check that all the details are correct and accurate. Be careful with this step as you cannot modify your data once it has been submitted. If there are any mistakes, just press the “Back” button and change the incorrect information.
Finally, press “Okay” to complete your registration.
After successful registration, you will have to verify your E-Lotto account by going through the mandatory KYC verification process. You will need a valid ID for this process.
Press “Start Verification” to continue to KYC verification (be ready with your valid ID). Otherwise, click “Do it next time” to postpone the verification process (you can return anytime to complete the verification). Take note that you will not be able to buy tickets in E-Lotto unless your account is verified.
How to Verify Your E-Lotto Account
Ready to verify your E-Lotto account? KYC verification is necessary for compliance with government regulations and for account security. Prepare any of the following identification documents to submit during the verification process:
- Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID)
- National ID
- Philippine Passport
- Social Security System (SSS) ID
- Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) ID
- Tax Identification Number (TIN) ID
- PhilHealth ID
- Driver’s License
- Voter’s ID
- Postal ID
- Senior Citizen ID
- Person with Disability ID
- Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) ID
- Barangay Certificate (with photo)
- National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance
- Police Clearance Certificate
- Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID
- Seaman’s Book
- Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ID
- Firearm’s License issued by the Philippine National Police (PNP)
- Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR)
Note: Verification can only be done using your mobile phone, so if you registered your E-Lotto account using a desktop computer or laptop, be sure to switch to your smartphone for this procedure.
Step 1: With your valid ID on hand, login to your E-Lotto account and click “Start Verification” to begin the KYC verification process.
Step 2: In the KYC Setting page, you will see three boxes:
- ID (Front View)
- ID (Back View)
- Selfie with ID
First, click or tap “Upload ID (Front View)” to launch the camera. Place your ID on a clean, flat surface and take a picture of the front of your ID. Make sure that the details of your ID are clear and legible.
Next, tap “Upload ID (Back View)” and take a picture of the back of your ID.
Lastly, tap “Take a Selfie with ID.” Hold your ID with one hand and then take a selfie photo using your phone’s front camera.
When all three photos have been uploaded, scroll down to the bottom and press “Next.”
That’s it! Your KYC settings have been updated successfully, so all you have to do is to wait for the PCSO to verify your account. This usually takes less than a week.
In my case, it took four working days for my account to get verified. To check your verification status, just login to your E-Lotto account, tap “Account” and then select “Cash In.” Your account is verified when you’re allowed to make a cash in transaction or add money.
How to Cash In or Add Money to E-Lotto
Once your E-Lotto account is verified, you can start adding money to your account. You can cash in a minimum of ₱20 and a maximum of ₱50,000 per transaction.
Here’s how to make your first cash in to your E-Lotto account:
Step 1: Login to your E-Lotto account and select “Account” at the bottom (or on the left sidebar menu on desktop). Press the “Cash In” button.
Step 2: You’re now in the Cash In page. As of this writing, GCash is the only available cash in option, so it’s selected by default.
Select your cash in amount ranging from ₱20 to ₱500. You can also enter a custom amount ranging from ₱10 to ₱50,000.
Click “Submit” to continue.
Review your cash in amount and payment type, and then tap “Confirm and Submit.”
To proceed to the deposit page, press “Go.”
Step 3: You’ll be taken to the GCash payment screen to complete the cash in transaction. Tap the “Open in GCash” button to launch the GCash app.
On the GCash app, make sure that you have sufficient balance to pay for the cash in transaction, and then tap the “Pay” button to complete the payment.
Step 4: After successful payment, press “Proceed” to return to your E-Lotto account or wait 10 seconds to be redirected automatically.
That’s it! It’s so easy to add money to your E-Lotto balance via GCash. If the money was not credited to your account within 5 minutes, you may request assistance by calling (02)8539-3990 or by emailing [email protected].
How to Play E-Lotto Games Online
Now that you have topped up your E-Lotto balance, it’s time to play your favorite lotto games! Playing lotto online is pretty easy and straightforward – just select your game, choose your lucky numbers, and purchase your ticket using your account funds.
Step 1: Login to your E-Lotto account and choose your game by clicking the “To Play” button. Only today’s games are shown on the homepage, so just tap “Games” to view all the games including those scheduled for tomorrow.
Step 2: Now choose your lucky numbers for standard play. For system play (e.g. 5-roll, system 7, etc.), tap the “System” tab and select your numbers accordingly. You can also select “Lucky Pick” to let the E-Lotto website pick a set of random numbers for you.
After choosing your number combination, click “Buy Now” to proceed to payment or “Add To Cart” to add your bet to the shopping cart and to continue playing.
Step 3: After clicking the “Buy Now” button, a dialog box will show your pending bet along with your selected numbers, ticket price, and draw date.
Check the box for “I understand and certify that this information are correct” and then tap “Confirm.”
Step 4: Finally, press “Buy Now” to place your bet and complete the payment.
Take note of your ticket number. Your recently purchased lottery tickets can be viewed by going to “Account” and then selecting “Purchase History.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are eligible to play the PCSO E-Lotto?
To be eligible to play the E-Lotto, you must be a Filipino citizen or Philippine resident, at least 18 years old, and have a valid government-issued ID card.
Is it safe to play E-Lotto?
The PCSO E-Lotto program is currently under a trial run lasting for one year, so don’t be surprised if you encounter minor glitches and bugs. However, the PCSO assured its players that the platform is safe and secure, citing the stringent KYC verification procedure required for new registrants.
How can I contact PCSO E-Lotto customer service?
If you have any questions and concerns, you may reach out to the PCSO E-Lotto customer service department through the following channels:
- Chat – Click the orange headset icon on your E-Lotto account.
- Telephone – Dial (02) 8539-3990.
- Email – Send a message to [email protected].
The customer service hotline is open daily from 7:00 AM until 12:00 AM midnight.
What cash in options are available in E-Lotto?
As of this writing, only GCash can be used for cash in and cash out transactions. Other payment options such as bank transfers will be available soon.
I made a cash in but the amount was not yet credited to my account. What should I do?
Funds are usually credited to your account in real time. If 5 minutes have passed and your cash in transaction was not yet reflected in your account balance, you may contact the PCSO E-Lotto customer service.
How can I check my account balance?
You can check your E-Lotto balance by going to “Account.” To refresh your balance, just tap the reload icon next to it.
How can I cash out my balance and winnings?
You can withdraw your balance (and winnings) by navigating to “Account” and selecting “Cash Out.” You may have to set your fund password first. Afterwards, bind or link your e-wallet by entering your GCash account number and the fund password.
When trying to buy a ticket, I got the error message “GPS location is not detectable.” How can I solve this?
If you encounter the error message “GPS location is not detectable” when trying to purchase a ticket, it could be that you have blocked your browser or app from using your device’s location, or that location services are disabled for your device.
To solve this error, just follow these steps:
- Enable location services for your device if you haven’t done so already. For Android users, open the Settings app, select “Location” and toggle on “Location Services.”
- On the E-Lotto website, tap the icon on the left of the address bar.
- Select “Permissions.”
- Toggle on “Location.” Make sure that it shows “Location Allowed.”
You may have to refresh or reload the browser for the changes to take effect.
Final Takeaways
The E-Lotto is definitely a welcome development for avid lottery bettors in the Philippines, especially those without easy access to PCSO lotto outlets. Why waste your time (and money) going to the lotto outlet when you can just use your smartphone or computer, right? Always remember to be a responsible bettor, and only spend what you can afford to lose.
Good luck and may the odds be in your favor!
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