Director of Operations
Loteria Electronica (Puerto Rico)
- 383 Roosevelt Ave.
- Suite 107
- San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918-2131
- 787-250-8150
History of Loteria Electronica (Puerto Rico)
The creation of a lottery in Puerto Rico was attributed to the Spanish economist Don Alejandro Ramírez in 1814. Almost two decades after Puerto Rico became a territory of the U.S., the Puerto Rico Lottery was created in 1934. Its purpose was to provide the government with additional income, to help the poorest municipalities, and to combat the clandestine gambling.
It was so successful that in 1989 another lottery concept was approved: a three-digit game known as Pega 3. The following year the LOTO game was launched, in which people had to match six chosen numbers, from 1 to 46. LOTO's highest prize has been $26 million with one winner, by automatic play, on November 16, 2012.
On June 25, 2002, the introduction of a new number of games called Pega 2 and Pega 4 were made possible by the Electronic Lottery Operational Regulations, and they were a hit as well.
On December 3, 2009, Instant Winning Scratch Card Games were authorized to enter to the market.
As of today, the Puerto Rico Lottery is a source of income for families through ticket agents and vendors. It continues with its social purpose by facilitating contributions to the central government and to many organizations that help the island - such as those supporting education, senior citizens, financial aid for housing, infrastructure, administration of municipalities, transportation, sports and health programs - in order to make our home a better place.
Scenario after hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017
After the threatening events, we managed to restore our operations and communications network in record time. Thanks to this, the historic feat of a Holding Marathon, consisting of 252 draws in six days, was achieved successfully, bringing back hope to Puerto Ricans when it was most needed.
After the lockdown due to the COVID-19 emergency, our priority was the safety and health of our people, and our main message was to "Stay at home."
Even though states chose to keep their draws, we decided to suspend ours until further notice. That is why we achieved a historic and unique Holding Marathon of 582 draws, with all the health and safety regulations, in only 15 days! This contributed to getting things back to normal; and for us, it's a way of making our people feel safe and sound again. Not only does this put a smile on our face; it also shows us how resilient we can be, during these difficult times.
