The Folly of thinking Big "POWER LOTTO"

Once or many times in our lifetime we tend to do
things in folly. We sometimes think "BIG" and
in the end achieving small or sometimes nothing
at all, Often enough result my end up unrepairable.
At times tend to calculate thing far beyond or far to
short of what actuality is. A rough estimate? Personal
experiences? or the probability of fact?. These and
many more dictate our planing. In any case,failure to
concede what is already obvious are bound to be a
mockery of great magnitude.
Take for example the PCSO's Power-Lotto which is
already beyond descriptive tittle of being a "flop"



Power Lotto was introduced last year as a means of

“spreading the charity virus” by patronizing lottery
games meant to generate funds for the poor.

“Powerlotto is our way of encouraging the more
affluent sectors of our society —the ABC class—
to join the charity bandwagon. They can now help
our less fortunate countrymen and, at the same
time, look forward to winning hundreds of millions
of pesos through lottery games,”

An estimated that the PCSO would generate an
additional P149,940,000 in Charity Fund during the
operation of Power-lotto in the first six months alone.

Dr. Larry Cedro, PCSO spokesman
Here's the link

That's nice, I personally have no problem with it.
I think generating funds to help the poor is a noble
thing to do. But the problem is not the game or
the purpose of the game but how the game is played
to be more specific its the "cost" of game.

First Draw of the renowned Power-lotto was on the
17th of June last year with the pot price of
50 million Pesos. But since then no significant
changes. Last night was the 31th draw of the fabled
Power-lotto and it seems, like previous draws changes
are set at nil (the same). This lack of improvement
regarding the pot prize means a lot of things.
Sales for the power-lotto tickets are extremely low.
Low enough as no changes are manifested in its previous
draws and doubtful if there will ever be in the foreseeable
future.

WHY Then?

I'll try to brake the statement stated
By PCSO beloved spokesman.

And see where everything went wrong.

Power-lotto is our way of encouraging the more
affluent sectors of our society —the ABC class—
to join the charity bandwagon.

In a country that has a population of more than 80
million Filipinos in which 27% are estimated to live
below poverty level and less than 5% can be considered
ABC class. If memory serves right I never known
or meet one (ABC Class) in my whole humble existence.

Try to imagine this, Henry Sy ( a definite Class A, presently
the richest man in the Philippines with net worth amounting
to billions) or any member in his family falling in line on lotto
out-let to buy a power-lotto ticket.
of course not!
Unless he ask someone else to do it for him that would
be a different matter.

At any case enticing the upper class citizens to join
the bandwagon seems to be far too ambitious at this
point. It is a clear certainty however the possibility
of these people (upper class) to join in if the pot prize
hit its peek at 300 to 400 million or above. That is to
say if it gets there in the first place.
Anyway to get to that 9 figure prize it need a breakout
from its starting point of 50 million pesos to be more
specific it needed sales.
which at this present moment, impossible to attain.

Let me point out first, that the odds of winning this
thing is 34,000,000+ to 1. With this in mine there
almost a certain impossibility of even winning.
The cost is P50 per play.

So where did it all failed?

Here is my humble observation. Based on actual
experience.

Event no# 1

During the time when power-lotto was introduce to the
public, the country was in the midst of the rice crises.
Anyone can see how sad the food-line were. Young and old
even poor mothers carrying their babies waiting in line
on rice stores to open and this was early in the morning,
just to buy 2 kilos for rice. Now, What can 2 kilos of rice do?
It usually last a maximum of two days or less.

Government supplied rice or better known as NFA rice are
sold to the public with the price tag of P18Php an later
raised to P22Php. So to buy 2 kilos of rice a person need
to have P50Php in hand to feed a family for a mere 2 days
or less. Sad but true. Not to mention other important
daily need. Like I said,The cost of buying a power-lotto ticket
is P50Php. So in a practical sense, Who in "Zeus's butt hole" would
anyone be dumb enough to buy a power-lotto ticket.
Actuality

One day last year, I went to a local market I decided to buy lotto
tickets (super-lotto ). As usual the lotto out-let was
packed with people. I notice the person beside me was looking
at a power-lotto ticket and asking the lotto operator for some info.
Every one was listening as the operator explain how it was
played and its "supposed possibilities" when the man ask
"how much is it?" the operator answer P50Php. the poor guy
went a gasp he said,

"dios ko! mag lisod man gani kug daug sa uban, kani naba kaha.
Palit ko nalang ni bugas.
( My God! It's hard enough to win already, I'd rather rice than
this )

I also heard other people saying.

"Ari nalang ko sa super dali pa saka premyo, barato pa"
( I'd rather buy super-lotto were the jackpot prize can
easily go up, and it's cheaper as will.)

Another person said:

"Mo palit ko ana, kung ang premyo abot nag P300 million"
(I'll buy a ticket, If the jackpot prize hit P300 million)

we started laughing and unanimously said: "mao" (yeah)

Yet someone said:
"Dili ko palit ana oi, mahal ra"
(I'm not going to buy it, too expensive)

A month after I went to a local mall (SM City Cebu).
I decide to buy a scratch ticket worth P20Php and actually
won P200Php. With the winning money on hand, I decided
to buy my first power-lotto ticket, just for the heck of it.

And man looked at me and said.

"Lisod kaayo na daugong dong"
( Young man!, That's extremely hard to win)
I looked at him and smile.
Though I know, deep inside it will be losing ticket.

Event No# 2

Cost, Cost, Cost
Need I to say more? I guess I should then, for the sake
of writing.
So listen then,
or in this case read carefully then

Since October of last year oil prizes begun to drop, and rice
supplies are increasing dropping prize tags to considerable
level. Yet despite of this the power-lotto scheme failed to
make it's intended mark.
It's high cost per play coupled with it's high probability of losing.
Making it a "flop" wonder.

The Solution!
Reduce cost of play from P50 to P30 per play.

or

Set the pot prize to P100 Million.

Based on my experience with family, friends and my self .
On average a person is willing to dish out less than P50
a week. Now, if you think this amount fits like a glove to what
the people running the game. Than your DEAD WRONG.

Here's the thing, would you buy if its.?

A. Off the scale chance of losing, expensive (P50 per play) and
with a stagnant jackpot prize.

B. Acceptable chance of losing, Affordable (P10 to P20 per play)
with a sky rocketing jackpot prize.

It's also best to remember that all mankind has a built-in
"take that opportunity at the opportune time" gene embedded
to our DNA. So, base on this logical approach through my illogical
way of thinking, people prefer (like myself) to wait for a bigger
catch (cash) before throwing in the stash.

So, for my final note, the Power-lotto has already hit it's six
months operation. Within that six months no significant change
has been seen or felt.

Did it reached its intended amount of fund for charity? Who knows

At any rate, as experience suggest nobody is buying enough of it.

Hence the "static stance" of the much vaunted POWER-LOTTO"

For PCSO, who's mandate have helped so many. It's best to rethink
why it did not meet expectations. based on what was release by the
PCSO spokesperson.

(I was thinking of putting something here, but I hit a dried lake)

A valuable lesson to this is,

At times when we "think" Big, Let's start it small....