Best Online lotteries in Philippines 2023

The Philippines has a long and colorful history of lottery games. Today, Filipino punters have a long list of lotteries at their hands. Each lottery brings some unique attributes in terms of the gameplay and prize money winnings. Here are some player Philippines lotto favorites today:

6D Lotto

This lottery game, the 6D Lotto is the most popular lottery games in the Philippines, played by many.

EZ2 Lotto

In 2004, the EZ2 lotto, is a relatively new lotto game in the Philippines. Initially, this game was only available on Luzon Island. With growing interest across the country, the PCSO decided to introduce the lottery game in Visayas and Mindanao, which has earned it a spot among the most popular lottery games in the country.

Lotto 6/42

This lottery sees punter pick six numbers from a pool of 42, hence the name. First introduced in Luzon in 1995, the Lotto 6/42 enjoys massive popularity across the Island. Some punters have managed to win Lotto 6/42's jackpot, with the highest number of jackpot wins recorded in 2017.

6/49 Lotto

This lottery game is similar to the 6/42, only that the pool has 49 numbers. This lottery holds three draws a week, usually every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. What's more, 6/49 Lotto has no jackpot cap.

Lotto 6/55

The Grand Lotto 6/55 is yet another player favorite in the Philippines. This 55-pool lottery holds three jackpot draws every week, which translates to three chances of winning amazing lottery prizes along with other prizes every week.

Other player favorites include the 6/49 and 6/58. However, most lottery players are usually drawn to jackpots as the jackpot pool approaches record-breaking numbers.

Lotteries are not new in the Philippines. While lotto games as they are today might have shifted online, the tradition of picking numbers with the anticipation of pulling a big win has been a mainstay in the Filipino culture. Early records show that lotteries have been around the Philippines since 1883.

It is believed that lotto games are one of the many things Filipinos adopted from Spain. During the early days, Lotteries were administered by private enterprises under the Spanish government's watch. The main reason behind the introduction of lotteries in the country is the creation of additional streams of revenues for the government.

During its early years, a lucky player, Dr. Jose Rizal, won a jackpot of 6,200 Pesos from the Manila Lottery in 1892. While still in exile, Rizal surprised many when he donated his win towards an educational drive. This" big win" ignited interest from various quarters. However, the Lottery was short-lived owing to the fact that the Philippine Revolution (1896 – 1898) broke out a few years later.

Post Philippine Revolution – the 1900s

The first lotto draw after the two-year Revolution was held in 1932. Just like in the past, the government of the day used lotteries as a 'funds drive' aimed at raising revenue to fund charitable activities. Lotteries became successful, obliging the government to shift its focus to holding more draws directed towards charitable causes such as the then Philippine Anti-Tuberculosis Society (PTSI).

The government instituted the Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office (PCSO) to oversee lottery gaming in 1935. The new body quickly sought a 250,000 Pesos loan from the Treasury to expedite the establishment of the lotto gaming industry.

This turned out to be a huge success, as the entire amount was repaid in a couple of weeks. The humanitarian mission associated with lotteries was instrumental in earning public backing, which remains to date.

Fast forward, PCSO appointed a new chairperson in 1995, Manuel Morato. Under his leadership, the first online lottery was launched, seeing the term lotto adopted. Even though online lotteries faced severe criticisms, the Supreme Court was quick to support this new mode of gaming, marking a new era in the Filipino lottery industry.

The gambling situation in the Philippines often seems confusing. For starters, native Filipinos are strictly forbidden from engaging in online gambling practices. While the Philippines bans locals from engaging in all forms of online gambling, including lotteries, it still features among the world's richest online gambling hubs.

While online lotto gaming remains forbidden for the natives, no laws outlaw Filipinos from playing at offshore online lotteries. This implies that locals who can access the best lottery sites do not have to worry much about the legal situation in the country.

Is Gambling Legal in the Philippines

Gambling is not entirely legal. For starters, locals are only allowed to play land-based gambling, leaving the online landscape entire to tourists visiting the country. However, some Filipino players frequent offshore casinos.

Which Are the Best Lotto Sites for Filipinos?

With online lotteries still outlawed for Filipinos, the number of offshore casinos available to players from the Philippines keeps increasing. Lotto review sites go to great lengths to review lotto sites open to Filipinos before coming up with a list of the best lotto sites for Filipino players.

How Can One Identify the Best Lotto Site?

Picking the best lottery sites is not an easy task for most Filipinos. However, security and credibility are usually top considerations when looking for an online lotto in the country. Any player should be ready to do their homework before committing to any lottery site.

What are the Most Popular Lotto Games?

PCSO lotto games are undoubtedly the most popular games in the country. However, there are is an endless list of lucrative options available at offshore casinos.

Can I Play Lottery Games for Free?

Traditional lottery games are not free; however, some online lotteries could have a free entry.