The top prize for last Sunday’s draw of the Super Lotto 49 ballooned to P153,095,252 but no bettor guessed the correct six numbers combination drawn that day.

With the lotto jackpot registering a P23 million increase from last Thursday’s draw, the cash prize could breach P200 million if nobody hits the winning combination in the next two draws.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office said Sunday’s winning combination was 03-27-38-35-14-25.

Don de Leon, chief of staff of PCSO Chairman Sergio Valencia, said Tuesday night’s estimated jackpot could reach P170 million.

“That is a moderate estimate, but many believe the top prize could reach more than P170 million,” he said.

De Leon said that if the jackpot is not won in two more draws, the first prize would easily breach P200 million for the fourth time in lotto history.

Over P200 million was offered as cash prize in the following past draws: October 17, 2002 with six winners; March 30, 2008 with only one winner; and February 22, 2009, with two winners, although one of the winners has yet to come forward to claim the pot.

Meanwhile, De Leon urged the public to be wary of a group of swindlers claiming to have one of the two winning February 22 draw tickets.

He said the group has already victimized residents of a rural community in Ilocos Sur, and may strike again as the last day for claiming the jackpot prize nears.

De Leon said there is a strong possibility that the racketeering group could have hoodwinked folks in other rural communities of cash and valuables but their activities have not been reported to the police.

“The public should be forewarned against dealing with this group. The only way to know if a lotto ticket bears the winning number combination is to check it with the PCSO main office or in any official lotto outlet,” said De Leon.

The PCSO executive explained that the jackpot winner, believed to be a resident of Pasig City, has failed to claim half of the Lotto 49 top prize of P347 million given in the February 22 draw, the richest prize money in lotto history in the country.

The other bettor was a Caloocan City housewife who placed her P20 bet at a Pasay City lotto outlet. The winning combination was 26-20-33-12-6-34.

“We are still hoping the Pasig City jackpot winner will beat the February 22 deadline in becoming a multi-millionaire,” said De Leon, explaining that winnings not claimed in one year after the draw will be forfeited.