A LEADER of authorized lotto agents in Cagayan de Oro City on Wednesday said the lifting of the suspension of lotto operations may have been the result of the appeal of lotto operators nationwide, and whose daily earnings have been affected for four days after the closure order of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The suspension on lotto operations was lifted immediately after Malacañang announced it on Tuesday night, July 30. But, other gaming schemes licensed by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) such as Small Town Lottery (STL), Keno, Peryahan ng Bayan among others, remain suspended pending investigation on alleged corruption.

However, Astrid Bana, president of the Misamis Oriental-Cagayan de Oro Lotto Agents Association (MOCLAA), said operators have already incurred losses as they continued to pay their rentals, electric bills, and tellers in four days since the operation was halted.

“Dako nagansi kay we continue to pay our bills. Lain-lain og losses per outlet,” Bana said.

However, Bana said operators were thankful that operations had been resumed so they can recover fast from their losses.

Bana said a lotto outlet’s daily sales range from P10,000 to P20,000.

“Ang P10,000 to P20,000 is range of sales per day. Ang earnings or commission sa mga lotto agents is only 5 to 7.5 percent of gross sales. Maayo gani kay pila ra ka adlaw nawala. So nalipay mi kay basin resulta nani sa among appeal nga kung dunay himoon investigation dalion aron dili mi madalahig nga mga innocent,” Bana said.

Bana said irregularities and anomalies are quite impossible in lotto operations since it is computerized.

But, the group worries that illegal “Swertres” operation may also return since the illegal accepts P1 bet compared to the P10 minimum bet in the authorized lotto outlets.

“Among concern lang basin mobalik sad ang illegal kay naa naman kuhaan nila sa resulta unya sa lotto. Hangyo namo sa katawhan nga didto lang ta sa legal motaya,” Bana said.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Mardy Hortillosa II, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Northern Mindanao, said provincial and city directors are ordered to assist lotto operators in removing the signage posted over the weekend.

“Naa nay mando ang atong regional director nga i-remove tong mga signage sa mga lotto outlets kung wala pa matangtang,” Hortillosa said.