Court clears PCSO for conducting online lottery bidding in the Philippines

The Supreme Court of the Philippines has cleared the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) for conducting a public bidding process for its online lottery system. The High Court’s Third Division had stopped the process, quelling a previous ruling from a lower court.

According to the Supreme Court, the Philippine Gaming and Management Corporation (PGMC), which leased out equipment for the PCSO’s online lottery operations in Luzon from 1995 to August 2018 cannot demand “exclusive rights” to be protected beyond the expiration of its contract with the PCSO.

“[PGMC] failed to provide proof that the Amendments to Equipment Lease Agreement was extended beyond 21 August 2018. It cannot claim that it has alleged exclusive rights to be protected and that it will suffer irreparable injury if petitioner continued with the Nationwide Online Lottery System bidding process,” the High Court stated and added: “This is precisely because the bidding was for the next supplier of the Nationwide Online Lottery System for a period of five years after 21 August 2018 or commencing on 22 August 2018.”

Source: FocusGN