The Irish senate, the Seanad Éireann of the Oireachtas, will consider a proposed ban on lottery betting in Ireland.
Currently, most EU countries have prohibited lottery betting due to its detrimental effect on funding for good causes and the commissions of local lottery-licensed retail agents.
According to the latest data from the National Lottery operator, lottery betting reduces funding for good causes by 20% each year.
RGDATA’s Appeal
In a letter to Paschal Donohoe, Tara Buckley, director general of The Retail Grocery Dairy & Allied Trades Association (RGDATA), urged a ban on lottery betting, stating:
“Rather than allowing Ireland to remain behind in EU terms by continuing to permit Lottery Betting, doesn’t it make perfect sense to seize this legislative opportunity to prohibit the practice?”
Buckley highlighted that Minister Browne had expressed he couldn’t move forward on the issue without Donohoe’s approval.
Irish Senate to Debate Ban on Lottery Betting“With the clear benefits a ban would bring, is this a chance you can afford to miss?”
Committee Stage Debate
During the Committee Stage Debate on the Gambling Regulation Bill in the Seanad on 26 September 2024, Senator Barry Ward introduced Amendment No. 113.
This amendment aims to ensure that entities regulated by the Bill would be prohibited from offering gambling on the National Lottery unless explicitly authorised under Part 7 of the National Lottery Act 2013.
If passed, the amendment would ban Lottery Betting by unauthorised entities.
James Browne TD, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, acknowledged the amendment’s intent but noted that the issue fell under the responsibility of Minister Donohoe, who oversees Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery, and Reform.
Minister Browne committed to discussing the amendment with Donohoe, prompting Senator Ward to temporarily withdraw it, with plans to reintroduce it at the Report Stage.
Irish Senate to Debate Ban on Lottery BettingHowever the proposal was rejected by Green Party Minister Ossian Smyth.
At the time, the Irish Bookmakers Association said:
Irish Senate to Debate Ban on Lottery Betting