If you ever find yourself in the thick of the hustle and bustle in Quiapo, amidst the gaggle of vendors and the throngs of would-be-customers, you’re sure to find a congregation of people flocking to an unassuming store led by an equally unassuming man.
Welcome to the Lotto outlet owned by Lucio de Castro or Ka Lucio as he wants to be known. This is where the bettors go out of their way just to play at what is widely regarded as Manila’s “luckiest” lotto outlet.
You have probably seen the lines on TV. Whenever the jackpot is big, news crews troop to Ka Lucio’s outlet to capture the manic frenzy of people hoping to make it big. Come to think of it, on any given day, the lines are long and the store is filled to the brim. One can’t help but wonder: why is Lucio’s Lotto outlet this successful? From the outside, Ka Lucio’s store looks like any other Lotto outlet. Inside though, is a whole different story altogether. Upon entering the store, you are immediately greeted with seemingly endless rows of colorful Scratchit™ instant tickets. Posters calling out potential winners pepper the walls.
Don’t loiter too long though, as dozens of bettors are lined up on one side while other customers are hunched over his counters, furiously scratching instant tickets by the handful!
This is one of the secrets of Ka Lucio’s success! An additional easy revenue source that other outlet owners may be missing out on. One of the myths about Lotto that he is quick to debunk is that you can live off the revenue from Lotto alone. You might think that once you open a Lotto outlet, you’re assured of a steady stream of income but it simply does not work that way. At least not if you want to earn millions. The secret, Lucio tells us, is offering other PCSO products, like Scratchit™ tickets and Keno, combined with proper merchandising.
The Proof lies in numbers.
In 2009, Ka Lucio sold over P6 Million in Scratchit™ instant tickets from his humble Lotto outlet. This year, he is on track to sell twice as much, an amount he believes can reach up to P15 Million pesos before 2010 is over! He goes on further to say that so far, Scratchit™ sales make 40% of his income with the rest in online Lotto. Just do the math on how much extra income he is making out of these tickets. Some loyal customers don’t even play Lotto anymore and just go to him to buy instant scratch games.
At the end of the day, Lucio is as ordinary as the rest of us. It’s his vision and drive for excellence, which make him extraordinary.
You too can be a Scratchit™ super retailer like Ka Lucio. Interested Metro Manila outlets can either visit the PCSO Sales Department at (02)740-0253. or call the Scratchit™ hotline at 0917-3213583. Provincial Dealers can call the nearest PCSO Provincial District Office nearest you.
