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[av_heading heading=’Bookies vs STL: Which will prevail?’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY HERBER L. VEGO
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Tuesday, April 18, 2017
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ILOILO City – Senior Superintendent Remus Zacharias Canieso, city police director, has asked the bet takers or koridores of Small Town Lottery (STL) to refrain from working for illegal STL operators who are better known as bookies.
In a meeting with around a hundred STL bet takers at Zerrudo Arcade the other day, Canieso reminded them that they comprised a team akin to a basketball team where each player has a role to play, whether defensive or offensive, while aiming for a goal.
He named the other major team players as the government and the STL franchisee authorized by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
PCSO is expanding the operation of STL nationwide to help the government’s anti-illegal gambling drive.
“Answering the call of President Rodrigo Duterte to eliminate illegal gambling and stop corruption in the country, PCSO expands its STL operations from 18 areas since it started in 2006 to 56 areas nationwide this year,” said Chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz recently.
The newly-authorized franchisee in Iloilo City is the ZFIC-Iloilo Gaming Corporation. Managed by Thelma “Bebit” Zerrudo, it has been in business for only one month and a half but is already reeling from competition with illegal, unidentified bookies.
“We want you to prosper,” Canieso told the bet takers. “And so we need to help each other. You can help by remitting bets to the authorized corporation only. The money you generate will help the government achieve its programs for public welfare. It can build hospitals and schools. It is only by eliminating illegal players that we can perform our tasks smoothly.”
The STL bet takers are entitled to 10 percent commission plus an added two percent as incentive. Forty percent of remitted bets are remitted to the PCSO while the balance of 48 percent goes to the franchisee, which apportions it for operating expenses, government fees, winners’ prizes and whatever is left for profit.
The franchisee is required to remit at least P2 million a day to PCSO, whether such an amount is collected from bettors or not.
He also reminded the bet takers that, being the front liners, they are in the best position to identify and report the neighborhood bookies to the police so they could be arrested and charged criminally.
STL has 56 corporate agents nationwide, whose combined income from bets is expected to hit P28 billion this year, according to PCSO chairman Corpuz.
Meanwhile, PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan warned those engaged in illegal gambling operations to stop or face arrest.
“To all illegal gambling operators, your minions and protectors, your days are numbered. You can run but you cannot hide. Go legal or else we will arrest you and file appropriate charges against you,” said Balutan./PN
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