How to claim a PCSO lotto prize: where to go, what to bring, the one-year deadline and the 20% tax

Claiming a PCSO lotto prize depends on how much you won: small prizes at the outlet, bigger ones at a PCSO branch, the jackpot at the main office in Mandaluyong. In every case you need the original signed ticket, valid IDs, and to claim within one year of the draw. Lotto is run by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), separately from PAGCOR's casinos and online gaming, where players must be 21+.

Where to claim, by prize size

GMA News asked PCSO how winners collect, and published the answer in Tagalog on 5 October 2018:

What you won	Where to claim (per PCSO, GMA News 2018)
3 or 4 numbers, up to ₱10,000	Any lotto outlet ("sa kahit na anong lotto outlet")
5 numbers, or any prize above ₱10,000	A PCSO branch
All 6 numbers (jackpot)	PCSO main office in Mandaluyong

PCSO also said it pays jackpot claims at the main office by check in the winner's name, not in cash ("Hindi po kami nagbabayad ng cash").

Later reports agree on the jackpot rule. GMA News (27 June 2023) quoted PCSO saying jackpot winners "should go to the PCSO main office in Mandaluyong", and the Philippine Star (21 February 2025) described an Ultra Lotto 6/58 winner who "turned up at the PCSO central office in Mandaluyong" to claim ₱314.591 million.

Since 1 February 2026 the 4- and 5-number prizes in the five 6-number games are shared among that draw's winners (see lotto odds and prizes), so the amount, and with it the place to claim, can change from draw to draw. Check the amount first: up to ₱10,000 goes to the outlet, above that to a branch.

For the daily digit games, see 2D Lotto (EZ2) and Swertres (3D Lotto).

What to bring

From the GMA (2018, 2023) and Philippine Star (2025) reports quoting PCSO:

• The original winning ticket. Write your name on the back and sign it. GMA reported in 2023 that PCSO's Romi Sison advised bettors to "immediately sign their ticket upon purchase" and said "only the person who signed the winning ticket can claim the prize."
• Two valid IDs. The 2025 Philippine Star report says "two valid government-issued identification cards"; for jackpot claims, the 2018 GMA report says government-issued IDs with your signature are preferred.
• A special power of attorney, if someone claims for you. PCSO said in 2023 that if the winner cannot claim for health reasons, "his or her representative should present a special power of attorney."

Keep the ticket flat and dry. PCSO said in 2023 that if a ticket "got wet, crumpled, or defaced, the machine will not be able to read the number combination", and that a lost winning ticket cannot be claimed. In 2018 it said the barcode should not be wrinkled and the serial number must be readable.

PCSO also told GMA in 2023 that jackpot winners get an orientation "on best options in handling their money right after claiming the prize."

The deadline: one year from the draw

The rule is in the law, not just in PCSO's practice. Batas Pambansa Blg. 42 (1979), which amended PCSO's charter (Republic Act 1169), says:

"Prizes not claimed by the public within one year from date of draw shall be considered forfeited, and shall form part of the charity fund."

PCSO repeats it in its announcements of winners. The Philippine Star reported on 20 July 2026 that "all lotto winnings must be claimed within one year from the date of the draw", with unclaimed prizes going to PCSO's charity programs. GMA News quoted PCSO in 2023: "The validity of a winning ticket only lasts up to one year."

So for a draw on 8 November 2026, the last day falls around 8 November 2027 (our arithmetic). Don't wait for the last week.

How much tax is taken

Section 24(B)(1) of the Tax Code, as amended by the TRAIN law (RA 10963, effective 1 January 2018), imposes a 20% final tax on "other winnings (except winnings amounting to Ten thousand pesos (₱10,000) or less from Philippine Charity Sweepstakes and Lotto which shall be exempt)". The Philippine Star reported in February 2018 that PCSO was already deducting the 20% from winners' prizes.

Prize	Tax	You receive (our arithmetic)
₱100 (3-number prize, Ultra Lotto 6/58)	Exempt	₱100
₱7,222.22 (4-number share, Grand Lotto 6/55, 27 June 2026)	Exempt	₱7,222.22
₱1,400,000 (5-number prize, Grand Lotto 6/55, 27 June 2026)	20% = ₱280,000	₱1,120,000
₱20,167,956.53 (Lotto 6/42 top prize, July 2026)	20% = ₱4,033,591.31	₱16,134,365.22

The prize amounts are from the Summit Express draw results for 27 June 2026 and the Philippine Star report of 20 July 2026. The tax is withheld at the payout; there is nothing to pay in advance. More detail, including what changed in 2018: lotto tax in the Philippines.

Fake "PCSO" claim messages

Because winners must appear in person with the signed ticket, a message telling you that you won, or asking you to pay a fee to release a prize, does not fit how PCSO pays out.

• Fake PCSO accounts are an old problem. In March 2018 the Philippine Star reported PCSO warning against fake social media accounts using its name and logo to promise prizes. Then-general manager Alexander Balutan said "these fake accounts are not new" and told the public to check PCSO's official site for notices and results.
• Fake lotto apps. In August 2024 PCSO general manager Melquiades Robles told the Philippine Star that a Facebook ad for a supposed electronic lotto app, using his photo, the board chairman's photo and the GCash logo, was fake ("That is fake"). He said he would ask the DICT and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center to look into it. PCSO's own online platform, E-Lotto, has not sold tickets since 13 July 2024 (what happened to E-Lotto).
• "Pay the tax first." PCSO deducts the 20% from the prize itself. Anyone asking you to send money by GCash, Maya or bank transfer to "release" a lotto win is not following that process.

If you didn't buy a ticket, you didn't win. Don't click links or send IDs to strangers. For texts, see how to stop and report gambling text messages; for the general warning signs, how to spot a scam gambling site and fake GCash QR payment scams.

A few more points

• Government employees. The Civil Service Commission's 2026 ban on gambling covers government officials and employees; read what it covers before playing.
• Odds. The jackpot in Ultra Lotto 6/58 is 1 chance in 40,475,358 per combination (how the odds work).
• If lotto spending is a problem, see help and self-exclusion.

All PCSO games, prices and odds on one page: PCSO lotto guide.