‘Mathematicians, statisticians and professors from the academe became again in vogue, weighing in with their intellectual analysis on the matter.’
MANY people were surprised when the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) announced that 433 bettors beat the odds to win and share the P236-million Grand Lotto jackpot last Saturday. Each winner from that draw will receive P545,245.24, which is subject to a final tax of 20 percent.
What looked like an anomaly fed doubts engendered by the uniqueness of the winning combination of six numbers. The combination is an arithmetic progression consisting of multiples of nine — 9-18-27-36-45-54 — so precise as to make even Fibonacci squirm in envy in his grave.
Many were doubtful, disappointed and angry upon learning of this draw result that tested the Filipinos’ sense of incredulity, considering the high improbability of such a result happening, although they concede that it isn’t impossible. At least two senators — Koko Pimentel and Risa Hontiveros — called for a Senate probe on the way the PCSO operates, especially its management and regulation of the lotto.
Mathematicians, statisticians and professors from the academe became again in vogue, weighing in with their intellectual analysis on the matter.
Peter Julian Cayton, associate professor of UP School of Statistics, said that “over the past 20 years, we had only two or three winners, but the general pattern of these numbers did not have a structure as compared to the most recent multiples of 9 in a result.”
He explained that 433 people choosing 09-18-27-36-45-54 was still likely, as there were “many people who choose with a fixed set of numbers, and many would base it on a pattern to easily memorize them. And often, it’s based on a personal level.”
“A feature of being human is to do things beyond the rules of nature and finding pattern and order in chaos,” he added. Cayton said it was difficult to compute the odds of 433 winning “because here, subjectivity on how we make choices affects how many may win.”
PCSO General Manager Mel Robles puts it succinctly: “The chance of winning is one over 28.9 million, the science stops there. After that, it’s all pure unadulterated luck. We are very transparent with the machine, the balls are carefully weighed, they should have an exact weight. Prior to Saturday, we learned that a lot of bettors have been using the series (of numbers). We checked and at one point, almost 300 bettors were using that combination.”
The PCSO said a pattern was also established in the playing habits of bettors consistent with Saturday’s results, as 264 bets were placed on the same winning combination on Sept. 26. Also, a record 331 bettors won the second prize worth P100,000 for picking five of the six winning numbers.
Among the winners, the PCSO said 151 were from Metro Manila, 34 from Cavite, 22 from Rizal, 21 from Bulacan and Laguna, 14 from Batangas and Cebu, 13 from Pampanga, 11 from Pangasinan, and the rest scattered across the country. Out of the 433 winners, 12 people won via the Lucky Pick, which is a computer-generated number that gives a random combination.
If the senators have the time, the PCSO should welcome an impartial investigation into the lottery, although the Senate probably has more important things to do on its agenda following a month-long vacation that will end on Nov. 6.
