One Lucky Bettor Finally Wins the Ultra Lotto 6/58 Jackpot

We were feasting on palabok at the outdoor Market! Market! area when our neighbor, a frequent lotto bettor, couldn’t believe that someone won the Ultra Lotto 6/58 jackpot. How on Earth did it happen?

It had been four months since the previous Ultra Lotto 6/58 jackpot winner was announced. And the jackpot prize ballooned at a steady pace. That no one guessed the winning number 6/58 correctly became bigger news than domestic issues afflicting the country. And then a bettor from San Juan del Monte, Bulacan picked the six-digit winning combination. 

The total jackpot prize was 321.38 million pesos. Was it the biggest lotto jackpot prize ever? No. On October 14, 2018, two lotto bettors from Albay and Samar split the P1,180,622,508 prize, the largest ever.

Our neighbor wished it was him. We lost count of the number of times that he made his ardent known to anyone he knew. And he couldn’t fathom that the winning number combination, 07-24-13-16-10-02, didn’t follow previous winning patterns. Our curiosity was piqued. 

It should’ve been an even mix of high numbers and low numbers, he explained. Or a ratio of 2:4 or 4:2. For those who still can’t follow, it could be two low numbers and four high numbers or two high numbers and four low numbers. Lotto 6/58 was a game of chance, we pointed out. Our neighbor agreed albeit reluctantly. We could tell that he was getting desperate, but we chose to order another cup of palabok. 

What You Must Not Do If You Win the Lotto Jackpot

We found out that a hundred bettors won P120,000 pesos for guessing five out of the six numbers correctly. That’s still a lot of money. And it reminded us of winning P100,000 many moons ago. We didn’t tell our neighbor about it, as he seemed to be green with envy at the very lucky lotto 6/58 bettor from Bulacan. We could’ve quit our low-paying job and lived like a retiree.

However, P100,000 wasn’t a huge amount. And we learned it the hard way. (Our mother scolded us for not knowing how to handle money. We tried to spend less and it took six months. More or less. It could’ve been longer.) We could’ve imagined the lone lotto jackpot winner in our shoes. 321.38 million pesos is a humongous amount, but it can vanish if the winner doesn't practice careful spending. And he would be generous to relatives and friends. 

What he must do?

• Take time to reflect. The new (lotto) multi-millionaire must abstain from making any money moves with his winnings. It will be fueled by a lot of adrenaline and influence from his relatives and friends. He must take the time to reflect on his millions, of how to make it last. And he doesn’t have to rush it. This so-called reflection can take months. If he has a family, he can discuss it with them. How to create a more fulfilling life? It has to be more than a weekend in Boracay every few months or so. 

• You need to decide whether you trust yourself. The lotto jackpot is a fast-track ticket to financial freedom, but we heard too many sad tales about lotto winners who lost this wonderful opportunity because they spent too quickly. We bet that the new lotto jackpot winner won’t be too generous with his winnings. We also foresee him spending more time with his family and less with relatives and friends. It’s a point of no return, but it doesn’t mean that he must cut them off. A few years from now?

• Can you manage your own guilt? To control your own money or not, that is the question. The lotto bettor, who won the Ultra Lotto 5/58 draw recently, can consult a financial advisor. But he must not take her words at face value. (If you happen to be Piolo Pascual, who became a brand ambassador of Sun Life PH, then that would be another thing.) Depositing the money in a bank, and opening one or two savings accounts, is the wisest thing to do. 

What Would You Do If You Win the Lotto 6/58 Jackpot?

• Pay your debt. If you don’t have debt, then well and good. But we long suspect that many have. This is not the time to run away from it. 

• Focus on your needs (instead of what you want). We’re not alluding to a new car. Or a condo. It can be new clothing (if you intend to keep on working). It can be a new gadget (because it’s a necessity). It can also be a new lifestyle. (Never settle for less.) You might be thinking about becoming a fur parent. We suggest an adoption, but it would require commitment. And lots of money. If you think that having a pet dog, or pet cat, is more than responsibility, then do it. 

• Staycation. Forget Sentosa. Don’t plan your first vacation in Bangkok. A foodie adventure in Taipei is impractical. Go to Cebu. (You can stumble into a local version of Amsterdam.) Or the less-traveled Bacolod. (A mecca for the sweet-tooth travelers.) It won’t cost much. 

We didn’t tell all of the above to our neighbor (during our next meeting). He didn’t want the Market! Market! to close down in 2027. But that is another story. We were led to believe that hard work is a much stronger determinant of outcomes in life than luck.

The reality is very different: Who wants to play lotto now?