Puerto Rico's Governor inaugurates new lottery prize exchange center in Camuy

Pedro Pierluisi, Governor of Puerto Rico, announced the opening of a new Lottery Bureau Exchange Center in the municipality of Camuy, which will serve the northwest region of the island.

The inauguration ceremony took place on Friday, January 12 in that municipality and was attended by Treasury Department Secretary Francisco Parés Alicea, Lottery Bureau Assistant Secretary Lorna Huertas Padilla, Camuy Mayor Gabriel Hernández, and Public Buildings Authority (PBA) Executive Director Yamil Ayala, among other authorities, according to the Puerto Rico Treasury Department.

"This facility replaces the old Arecibo Exchange Center to give our people and Lottery employees a modern and more comfortable place to perform all the work of the center. With this new center, and in celebration of the Lottery's 90th anniversary, I reaffirm my commitment to support and strengthen the Puerto Rico Lottery's business, understanding that the impact goes beyond individual numbers and prizes. It is also an engine that drives the progress and well-being of our communities and our people," Pierluisi said.

Between January 2021 and December 2023, Lottery business sales totaled $2.3 billion. For last year, specifically, Pierluisi said that Traditional Lottery prizes totaling $191 million were paid throughout Puerto Rico, of which $15.4 million corresponded to the northwest region. In the case of the Electronic Lottery, prizes totaling $235 million were paid out, of which $8.3 million were also distributed in this area.

Inauguramos el nuevo Centro de Cambio de la Lotería de Puerto Rico en Camuy con instalaciones modernas para mejorar la experiencia y ofrecer el servicio de pago de premios a los clientes. En su celebración del 90 aniversario, reconozco el impacto positivo en el desarrollo… pic.twitter.com/WMEabBFNZk

— Gobernador Pierluisi (@GovPierluisi) January 12, 2024

The Treasury Secretary explained that the new Camuy Currency Exchange Center will pay Traditional and Electronic Lottery prizes and will offer services to the entire region, which includes the municipalities of Hatillo, Quebradillas, Lares, San Sebastián, and Isabela, among others.

"At the Exchange Centers, we pay major and minor prizes for the Puerto Rico Lottery and up to USD 25,000 for the Electronic Lottery. The payment of prizes is done through six Exchange Centers, located in Hato Rey, Caguas, Humacao, Ponce, Mayagüez, and now in Camuy. We also offer services at several Integrated Services Centers and the Treasury Department's Collection Offices," said Parés Alicea.

The assistant secretary of the Lottery Bureau, Huertas Padilla, highlighted that the Lottery Bureau has approximately 443 stores in the region with a license to sell all the Electronic Lottery products, while there are 385 agents and vendors with a license to sell Traditional Lottery tickets.

"This major project is part of the goals established by the Lottery Bureau, which seeks to increase revenues through strategies aimed at improving services. This physical facility is an example of our commitment to ensure our consumers an effective, efficient, and excellent service," said the official.

For his part, the mayor of Camuy highlighted the importance of the opening of the Exchange Center for the municipality. "The establishment of a Puerto Rico Lottery Exchange Center in Camuy is a great success for the Treasury Department since the closest center is located in Mayagüez. This facility will solve a need for thousands of people in the northern region who participate in the Lottery's various offerings and who benefit from them. I am grateful that a space has been identified in Camuy and I reiterate the willingness of the municipal administration to collaborate with the state government in all initiatives that benefit the constituents of Camuy and the northern part of the Island," said Hernandez.

The Exchange Center in Camuy is an ASP facility, renovated and refurbished with an investment of $89,600 from the Lottery Bureau. Yamil Ayala, executive director of the AEP, stated: "We are pleased that our specialized team can work on projects that serve the community. This remodeling is an example of the work we are doing to provide safe spaces and a pleasant environment to enhance the experience in government facilities".

"Thanks to Lottery funds, contributions can be made to several of our institutions, such as the Housing Department, the Municipal Tax Collection Center, the Catastrophic Disease Fund, the UPR Student Scholarship Program, the Olympic Committee, the Olympic Shelter, and the Minor Category Development Program of the Department of Recreation and Sports. In addition, funds are used to battle clandestine gambling on our Island and to help compulsive gamblers. That is why I recognize and deeply appreciate the invaluable contribution that the Lottery Bureau has made to our Island over the years," Pierluisi concluded.