National Lottery must win back public trust

The National Lottery must win back the trust of the public, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Bernard Durkan was speaking ahead of tomorrow’s new must-win draw, which has been implemented after seven months without a jackpot winner.

Deputy Durkan said, “The new ‘must be won’ Lotto draw is a move in the right direction and will bring greater clarity to the operation of the lottery.

“The Lotto jackpot will now be capped for a maximum of five draws and if there is no outright jackpot winner on the fifth draw, the jackpot amount flows down to the next winning prize tier.

“I welcome this development, and hopefully this will address the concerns expressed by the general public arising from the fact that the jackpot prize appeared to be unwinnable for the past seven months.

“However we must remain vigilant and see how this new regime will work. The Regulator will continue to monitor the National Lottery’s operation and if further changes appear necessary, may need to intervene.

“I would also like to see increased transparency from Premier Lotteries Ireland in relation to their advertising spend. I have tabled a Parliamentary Question seeking information on the value of ticket sales, the total prize money paid out and the amount spent on advertising over the course of 2021.

“It is most important that the integrity of the National Lottery continues to be protected in order that the funding of various good causes can continue into the future, and that those who purchase lotto tickets can be assured that their participation is going to be beneficial to those good causes which the Lottery supports.”