BACOLOD City Councilor Al Victor Espino said they are not against the operation of Small Town Lottery (STL), but operators have an obligation to secure a business permit from the city.
Espino, who is the chairperson of the City Council committee on laws, said Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) records showed STL has no business permit to operate in Bacolod City.
He said they will hold a public hearing next week with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), BPLO, City Legal Office (CLO), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) regarding the status of STL operations in the city.
“We are not against its operations. We want to ensure that their operation here is legal since we have intensified our campaign against illegal businesses,” Espino said.
On August 29, 2025, a total of six business establishments in Bacolod City were closed by the City Government for operating without a business permit.
“Even if they are a national entity or whatever they are trying to claim to be (citing presidential decrees or republic acts), they should secure a business permit from the local government units (LGUs),” Espino said.
Espino acknowledged the efforts of the PCSO and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) in providing healthcare services and assistance in the country, but noted that they must also give due respect to LGUs.
Councilor Dindo Ramos earlier authored a resolution constituting the entire City Council as a committee of the whole and inviting the PCSO, BPLO, CLO, and the PNP regarding the status of STL operations in the city.
Ramos said STL is being publicly operated in the city, with bets being collected and no revenues remitted to the city, despite the operator having no business permit.
He said the illegal operation of STL and other forms of gambling activities not sanctioned by law have been observed to proliferate, posing social, moral, and economic risks to the community. (MAP)