Wikipedia

National Lottery (Ireland)

(Redirected from Telly Bingo)

The National Lottery (Irish: An Crannchur Náisiúnta) is the state-licensed lottery of Ireland. Established in 1986 to raise funds for good causes, it began operations on 23 March 1987 when it sold its first scratchcards. It launched the weekly drawing game Lotto the following year, holding the first draw on 16 April 1988. It now offers EuroDreams draws on Mondays and Thursdays, EuroMillions and Plus draws on Tuesdays and Fridays, Lotto and Lotto Plus draws on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and two Daily Million draws each day. Its other games include televised bingo, an annual Millionaire Raffle, and online instant-win games. The minimum age to play all National Lottery games is 18.

National Lottery
The National Lottery Ireland
RegionIreland
First draw1986
Chief executiveCian Murphy
Regulated byRegulator of the National Lottery (Carol Boate)
Legislation
  • National Lottery Act, 1986
  • National Lottery Act, 2013
Highest jackpot€19,060,800 (Lotto, 29 September 2021–15 January 2022)
Odds of winning jackpot1 in 10,737,573 (Lotto)
Shown onRTÉ One
Websitelottery.ie

Almost 40 percent of Irish adults play National Lottery games regularly,[1] with 84 percent of sales transacted through a nationwide network of over 5,200 retailers and the remainder made online through the National Lottery website or mobile app. Almost 30 percent of sales go to fund designated good causes in the areas of sport and recreation, national culture, the arts, community health, and the natural environment. The National Lottery has raised over €6 billion for good causes since its inception.[2][3] In 2022, total National Lottery sales were €884 million, with almost €485 million returned in prizes and almost €260 million distributed to good causes.[3]

From 1986 to 2014, the state-owned An Post National Lottery Company operated the National Lottery. To raise funds during Ireland's post-2008 economic downturn, the Irish government sold the National Lottery licence for 20 years to a private operator, Premier Lotteries Ireland DAC (PLI), which was initially majority-owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, with a minority stake held by An Post and An Post Pension Funds. PLI began operating the National Lottery in November 2014. The French lottery operator Française des Jeux (FDJ) acquired PLI in November 2023. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform appoints an independent regulator (currently Carol Boate) to oversee the National Lottery's operations.

Origins and administration

edit

In its 1984 economic plan, Building on Reality 1985–1987, the coalition government of Fine Gael and the Labour Party proposed to raise funds for sports through creating a new National Lottery.[4] It passed the National Lottery Act 1986, which stipulated that its proceeds would fund sport and recreation, national culture, the arts, and community health.[5] The operators of the Irish Hospitals' Sweepstake, which had run since 1930, bid unsuccessfully in a public tender process for the licence to operate the lottery; they then placed the Irish Hospitals' Sweepstake into voluntary liquidation in March 1987 after deciding it could not compete with the National Lottery.[6][7][8]

 
The National Lottery's corporate logo from the late 1990s– 2008.

The government awarded the National Lottery licence to An Post National Lottery Company (Irish: Comhlacht Chrannchur Náisiúnta An Post), which was 80 percent owned by Ireland's state-owned postal services provider An Post and 20 percent owned by the Minister for Finance (later the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform).[9] The National Lottery licence was initially issued for a ten-year period, but in 1992 the licence term was extended to 31 March 2000. The licence was subsequently extended for an additional year.[10] An Post National Lottery Company successfully retained the licence in 2001 as the only bidder in the public tender process, after two other applications were withdrawn.[11][12] Ray Bates served as director of An Post National Lottery Company from its inception until he stood down in 2006; he was replaced as director by the company's former chief operating officer, Dermot Griffin.[13]

In 2011, during the country's post-2008 economic downturn, the Irish government included the National Lottery licence in a €3 billion privatisation drive agreed under the country's Economic Adjustment Programme.[14][15] In April 2012, the government announced that it would sell a 20-year licence to operate the National Lottery, while ensuring that around 30 percent of lottery sales would still go to designated good causes.[16] The National Lottery Act 2013 provided for the sale of the licence, eliminated some restrictions on Internet gambling to encourage online sales, and added the natural environment to the list of good causes eligible to receive National Lottery funding.[17][18]

On 3 October 2013, the government announced the winning bid of €405 million from Premier Lotteries Ireland DAC (PLI), majority-owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (then-owner of the Camelot Group, which operated the UK National Lottery from 1994 to 2024), with a minority stake held by An Post and An Post Pension Funds.[19][20] The Italian-owned GTECH and Australian gambling operator Tatts Group had also bid for the licence.[21] The government stated that half the proceeds from the sale would go towards construction of a new children's hospital while the other half would be used to pay down state debt and fund jobs programmes.[15] The staff of An Post National Lottery Company were transferred to PLI, which began operating the National Lottery in November 2014.[22][23] Griffin became CEO of PLI and continued in that role until 2019, when he was succeeded by former Paddy Power executive Andrew Algeo.[24][25]

In March 2023, The Sunday Times reported that the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan was planning to sell its 78.6 percent stake in PLI.[21][26] In July 2023, it was announced that the French lottery operator Française des Jeux (FDJ), in its first lottery venture outside France, had agreed to acquire PLI in full for €350 million.[27][28][29] Due to a drag-along right, An Post and An Post Pension Funds were obliged to sell their minority 21.4 percent stake. This meant that, for the first time, the Irish state retained no ownership stake in the company running the National Lottery.[30] The acquisition was completed in November 2023.[31] The Irish state continues to own and regulate the National Lottery, which PLI will continue to operate until its 20-year licence expires in November 2034.[27]

Following the acquisition, the National Lottery announced plans to move its headquarters away from Dublin's Abbey Street, where it had been based since its inception.[32] Algeo stepped down as CEO and board member of PLI at the end of June 2024. He was succeeded by Cian Murphy, formerly PLI's chief product and digital officer, who had previously held roles with The AA, Paddy Power, and McKinsey & Company.[33]

Regulator of the National Lottery

edit

The National Lottery Act 2013 established the office of the Regulator of the National Lottery, appointed by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The regulator may serve a term not exceeding seven years and may be reappointed for one additional term.[34] The first regulator appointed to the office was Liam Sloyan, a former chief executive of the Health Insurance Authority, who took up the position on 17 November 2014.[35] He was succeeded by Carol Boate, a former director of corporate services in the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, whose appointment took effect on 9 October 2017.[36][37]

Administrative and regulatory issues

edit

In 2015, representatives of PLI appeared before the Oireachtas Finance Committee to explain technological faults affecting the running of the National Lottery.[38] One problem had delayed the midweek Lotto draw scheduled for 4 February 2015 until the following day, the first time a Lotto draw had been postponed.[39]

In 2020, following an investigation, the National Lottery regulator found that PLI had breached three provisions of the National Lottery Act 2013, as well as its licence with the Irish state, by omitting top prizes totaling €180,000 from three scratchcard games, one held in 2015 and two held in 2019.[40] The investigation found that the omissions were due to human error. PLI returned the prizes to consumers through a New Year's Special Draw and also made a €50,000 donation to a mental health charity.[41]

In 2022, the Public Accounts Committee questioned PLI CEO Andrew Algeo regarding the company's use of unclaimed winnings between 2015 and 2021, an amount totaling over €124 million. PLI was criticized for allocating €120 million of this sum to marketing expenses while allocating less than €2 million towards top-up prizes. Algeo defended the marketing expenditure as necessary promotion for the lottery and stated that PLI had remained compliant with the licence terms.[42] The committee also questioned lottery regulator Carol Boate over PLI's use of unclaimed winnings. Some members called Boate a "bystander" on the issue while Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill criticised her for not seeking external legal advice.[43]

Also in 2022, the regulator fined PLI €150,000 for breach of licence after it failed to bar some problem gamblers from online platforms, even though those users had elected to avail of a permanent self-exclusion option introduced in 2019.[44] An investigation by the regulator identified 126 self-excluded users whose accounts had been deleted in error in October 2021, rather than permanently closed. Of these, 16 had subsequently opened new online accounts and 10 had resumed gambling on the platform. It was the first time PLI had been financially penalised due to problems identified by the regulator.[45]

Games

edit

The National Lottery began gaming operations on 23 March 1987 when it launched its first scratchcards, selling an estimated 1 million on the first day of trading.[46] It now offers EuroDreams draws on Mondays and Thursdays, Lotto and Lotto Plus draws on Wednesdays and Saturdays, EuroMillions and Plus draws on Tuesdays and Fridays, and two Daily Million draws each day. It also runs a range of other games, including televised bingo, Millionaire Raffles, and online instant-win games.

Since the National Lottery's inception, tickets and scratchcards have been sold through a countrywide network of retailers. In 2009, the National Lottery introduced online sales for lottery tickets; it also now offers online instant-win games. In 2022, around 84 percent of sales were transacted through the 5,200-member retail network and 16 percent were made online.[3]

National Lottery prizes are paid out as tax-free lump sums, with the top two EuroDreams prizes paid as tax-free annuities. All prizes in Lotto, EuroMillions, EuroDreams, and Daily Million games must be claimed within 90 days of the applicable drawing dates. The minimum age for playing all National Lottery games is 18, and winners have the right to remain anonymous. All unclaimed prizes are retained by the National Lottery and are mostly used for marketing expenses.[47]

 
Lotto logo in use from 2008 onwards

Lotto

edit

Lotto, a six-number lottery game, is the National Lottery's longest-running draw game. The inaugural Lotto draw was held on Saturday, 16 April 1988, for a jackpot of £147,059, which was won by Brigid McGrath from Letterkenny, County Donegal.[48] Lotto draws continued weekly on Saturday nights until the National Lottery introduced an additional midweek Lotto draw, first held on Wednesday, 30 May 1990.[49] Since then, Lotto draws have been held twice weekly on Wednesday and Saturdays. Ticket sales close at 7:45 p.m. on those days, and draws are held at 7:55 p.m.[50]

Lotto initially operated as a 6/36 lottery game, in which the odds of matching all six numbers and winning the jackpot are 1 in 1,947,792. At its initial cost of £0.50 per line, all possible combinations could be purchased for £973,896. Polish-Irish accountant Stefan Klincewicz had been part of a ten-person syndicate from the Dublin pub Scruffy Murphy’s that, in 1990, won a £2.4 million Lotto jackpot, then the biggest lottery win in Europe.[51] With Wexford businessman Paddy Kehoe, he set up another syndicate to attempt a brute force attack on the Lotto. When the jackpot reached £1.7 million for the May 1992 bank holiday drawing, the syndicate attempted to buy up all the combinations and thus win all possible prizes, including a special £100 prize for each Match-4 winner.[52][51][53] In response, the National Lottery limited the number of tickets each retailer could sell, and disabled machines the syndicate was using heavily, but the syndicate still managed to purchase over 80 percent of the combinations, spending an estimated £820,000 on tickets.[51] It had the winning numbers following the draw, but two other winning tickets were also sold, meaning the syndicate could claim only one-third of the jackpot, or £568,682. Match-5 and Match-4 prizes brought its total winnings to approximately £1,166,000, representing a profit of around £310,000 before expenses.[51][53]

To prevent such a brute force attack from recurring, the National Lottery changed Lotto to a 6/39 game for drawings beginning on 22 August 1992, raising the jackpot odds to 1 in 3,262,623.[54][53] To compensate for the longer odds, the National Lottery doubled the starting jackpot, added a bonus number to the drawings, and awarded new prizes for Match-5+bonus, Match-4+bonus, and Match-3+bonus.

Anticipating competition in border counties from the 6/49 game launched by the UK National Lottery, which began operations on 14 November 1994, the National Lottery changed Lotto to a 6/42 game on 24 September 1994, which made the jackpot odds 1 in 5,245,786.[54] At the same time, it introduced computer-generated "quick picks" as an alternative to marking numbers on paper play slips.

Beginning on 26 September 1998, the National Lottery increased the cost of a line of Lotto from £0.50 to £0.75, doubled the game's starting jackpot to £1 million, and increased most of the game's smaller prizes by 50 percent. After Ireland adopted the euro currency on 1 January 2002, the cost of a line of Lotto became €0.95, and the starting jackpot became €1.269 million (the euro equivalent of £1 million). For draws beginning 1 September 2002, the price of Lotto was rounded to €1 per line, and the starting jackpot was raised slightly to €1.35 million.

In November 2006, after several years of declining sales, the National Lottery changed Lotto to a 6/45 game to produce more rollovers and bigger jackpots.[55] This made the odds of winning the jackpot 1 in 8,145,060. The National Lottery also made the starting jackpot a guaranteed €2 million, increased the Match-5+bonus prize from €12,000 to €25,000, introduced a Match-3 prize of €5, and increased the price of a line of Lotto from €1 to €1.50.

In 2015, the National Lottery's new operator, Premier Lotteries Ireland, changed Lotto to a 6/47 game and increased the price from €1.50 to €2 per line.[56] The change took effect for drawings beginning 3 September 2015, making the odds of winning the jackpot 1 in 10,737,573.[57] The Match-5+bonus prize was increased from €25,000 to what the operator stated would be an average of over €100,000 and a Match-2+bonus prize was introduced, consisting of a two-line Daily Million quick pick with Plus.[58]

The Lotto jackpot rolls over until won, increasing with each rollover. Under rules introduced in 2015, when the jackpot reaches a new all-time high, it is capped at that level. Once a jackpot is capped, funds that otherwise would have gone toward increasing the jackpot are divided in each draw among ticketholders in the next-highest prize tier that has at least one winner.[59]

2021–22 Jackpot Rollovers and Will-Be-Won draw

edit

For a record 63 consecutive Lotto draws from 9 June 2021 to 12 January 2022, no ticket matched all six numbers to win the jackpot,[60] breaking the previous record of 22 consecutive rollovers.[61] The jackpot reached a new all-time high of €19,060,800 on 29 September 2021,[62] surpassing the previous record jackpot of €18,963,441 that had been won on 28 June 2008 by a syndicate in Bennekerry, Carlow.[63] The jackpot was capped at this amount for subsequent draws.[64]

In November 2021, after the jackpot had rolled over 46 consecutive times, Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan demanded a "full investigation and audit ... in the interests of public confidence" and called on Premier Lotteries Ireland to revert Lotto to a 6/45 game to make the jackpot more winnable.[65][66] In response, a PLI spokesperson called the extended sequence of rollovers "unprecedented", noting that since Lotto had become a 6/47 game in September 2015, 80 percent of jackpots had been won within seven weeks.[67] National Lottery regulator Carol Boate and PLI representatives were called to testify before the government's Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform on 14 December 2021.[68] Boate stated that no irregularities had been observed in Lotto draws, noting that other countries' lotteries had experienced similar extended sequences of rollovers.[69] PLI chief executive Andrew Algeo stated that the operator was seeking regulatory approval for a "must-win" draw if a capped jackpot had not been won for an extended period of time.[70]

In January 2022, the regulator gave approval for a Will-Be-Won draw, under which, if no ticket matched all six winning numbers, the outstanding jackpot would flow down to the winner(s) of the next prize tier.[71] A Will-Be-Won draw was held on Saturday, 15 January 2022.[72] Retail outlets were described as "manic" ahead of the draw, due to high demand for tickets,[73] and the National Lottery's website and mobile app experienced outages due to heavy usage.[74] A family syndicate from County Mayo matched all six numbers to win the €19,060,800 jackpot outright, after buying the winning quick-pick ticket at Laura's XL store in Castlebar.[75] To prevent future capped jackpots from rolling over indefinitely, Lotto game rules were changed to require a Will-Be-Won draw no more than five draws after a jackpot cap has been reached.[76]

Lotto Plus and Lotto Plus Raffle

edit

In 2000, the National Lottery introduced Lotto Plus as an add-on to the main Lotto game. For an extra £0.25 per line, players could enter their Lotto numbers in an additional 6/42 drawing for a fixed, non-rolling jackpot of £250,000. The first Lotto Plus drawing took place on 25 October 2000.[77] In 2002, the National Lottery added a second Lotto Plus drawing, renamed the drawings Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2, and raised the cost of Lotto Plus to €0.50 per line. The jackpots were fixed at €300,000 and €200,000 respectively. The first drawings for Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 took place on 1 September 2002.

In November 2006, when Lotto became a 6/45 game, the National Lottery raised the Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 jackpots to €350,000 and €250,000 respectively. In September 2015, when Lotto became a 6/47 game, the National Lottery raised the top prize of Lotto Plus 1 to €500,000 and introduced Lotto Plus Raffle, which added a four-digit raffle code to each Lotto Plus ticket; all ticketholders who matched the winning code won a fixed prize of €300.[58] It also introduced a Match-2+bonus prize of a two-line Daily Million quick pick in both Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2.

On 30 August 2018, the cost of Lotto Plus was doubled to €1 per line, the first price increase in 18 years. The Lotto Plus 1 jackpot was doubled to €1 million while the Lotto Plus 2 jackpot remained at €250,000.[56] The fixed prize for Lotto Plus Raffle was increased from €300 to €500, and the National Lottery introduced a special Lotto Plus Million Euro Raffle draw to be held several times a year, under which an additional €1 million would be evenly divided among all winning Lotto Plus Raffle tickets.[78][79]

The odds of winning the Lotto Plus jackpots are the same as the odds of winning the main Lotto jackpot. More than 90 percent of Lotto players also enter Lotto Plus.[80] The minimum cost of playing Lotto with Lotto Plus is now €6.

 
Lotto 5-4-3-2-1 logo in use from 2008 onwards

Lotto 5-4-3-2-1

edit

Based around the main Lotto draw, Lotto 5-4-3-2-1 was introduced in February 1997. It allows players to win prizes by correctly matching one, two, three, four, or five of the drawn numbers. The more numbers players try to match, the greater the prize. Players may base their choices either on a six-number game (excluding the bonus number) or on a seven-number game (including the bonus number). The prizes for each possible outcome are fixed and do not depend on sales. The odds of winning the six-number game's top prize of €125,000 are 1 in 255,657. The odds of winning the seven-number game's top prize of €40,000 are 1 in 73,045.[81]

EuroMillions

edit
 
Euromillions logo in use from 2008 onwards.
Main article: EuroMillions

The National Lottery joined the transnational EuroMillions lottery on 8 October 2004. Since then, several significant EuroMillions jackpots have been won or shared in Ireland. On 31 July 2005, Dolores McNamara, a part-time cleaning lady from Limerick, won a EuroMillions jackpot of €115 million, at the time the largest lottery prize ever won in Europe.[82] On 19 February 2019, a family syndicate from North Dublin won a €175 million jackpot, which holds the record for Ireland's largest ever lottery win.[83][84] The odds of winning the EuroMillions jackpot are 1 in 139,838,160.[81]

Ireland Only Raffle

edit

For each EuroMillions line purchased in Ireland, the buyer receives a nine-character Ireland Only Raffle (IOR) code made up of four letters and five numbers. Ten IOR codes are selected on each EuroMillions draw night, with the winners receiving €5,000 each.[85] In August 2021, the National Lottery awarded five IOR codes an extra €1 million each over the course of two weeks.[86]

Plus

edit

In June 2007, the National Lottery introduced "Plus," an add-on to the main EuroMillions game available only to Irish players. For an extra €1 per line, players can enter their five main EuroMillions numbers in an additional draw for a fixed, non-rolling jackpot of €500,000. Players can also win fixed prizes of €2,000 for a Match-4 and €20 for a Match-3. The odds of winning the Plus jackpot are 1 in 2,118,760.[81]

EuroDreams

edit

In October 2023, the National Lottery launched EuroDreams, a joint venture with the lotteries of seven other European countries—Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland.[87] The National Lottery's first annuity-style game, EuroDreams features a top prize of €20,000 per month for 30 years. Players choose six numbers from 1 to 40 and a "Dream Number" from 1 to 5. Players who match all winning numbers, including the Dream Number, win the top prize; players who match the first six numbers, but not the Dream Number, win the second-tier prize of €2,000 per month for 5 years.[88] Cash prizes ranging from around €100 to around €2.50 are paid for a Match-5, Match-4, Match-3, or Match-2.[89]

EuroDreams tickets first went on sale on 30 October 2023, at a cost of €2.50 per line, with the first draw held on 6 November. Draws are held in Paris on Mondays and Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. Irish time).[88] An annuity prize may be paid only to an individual, not to a syndicate; if an annuity winner dies before the payment period concludes, the remaining outstanding amount will be paid as a lump sum to his or her estate.[88] The odds of winning the EuroDreams top prize are 1 in 19,191,900.[89]

Daily Million

edit

In September 2012, the National Lottery introduced Daily Million to replace both Monday Million (a former draw game with prizes up to €1 million, held once weekly on Monday nights) and All or Nothing (a former daily draw game with prizes up to €500,000).[90] A 6/39 lottery drawing with a fixed, non-rolling jackpot of €1 million, Daily Million took place once each day until April 2016. From that point, two draws have been held each day.[91] Daily Million costs €1 per line to play. For an extra €0.50 per line, players can also play Daily Million Plus for a top prize of €500,000. Draws take place at 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. each day, including weekends and bank holidays.[92] The odds of winning the Daily Million and Daily Million Plus jackpots are 1 in 3,262,623.[81]

Millionaire Raffle

edit

In the summer of 2008, the National Lottery ran its first limited-edition Millionaire Raffle, selling 300,000 tickets at €20 each. The draw, which featured two top prizes of €1 million, was held on 26 August 2008 to coincide with the final evening of the Rose of Tralee festival.[93] Millionaire Raffles took place occasionally at Easter, in the summer, and at Christmas until 2014. Since then, the Millionaire Raffle has taken place only at Christmas, with ticket sales opening on 1 November and the draw held on New Year's Eve. For the Christmas 2023 Millionaire Raffle, 600,000 tickets were sold at a cost of €25 each. The top prize was €1 million, with an additional 6 prizes of €100,000, 15 prizes of €10,000, 45 prizes of €5,000, 302 prizes of €1,000, and 8,131 prizes of €500.[94]

Telly Bingo

edit

The National Lottery introduced Telly Bingo in September 1999. Players buy tickets with 24 randomly generated numbers, and can win prizes by matching the numbers drawn on a lunchtime TV show in a variety of patterns, with a prize of €10,000 for a full house. An additional €10,000 Snowball prize goes to someone who achieves a full house on or before the 45th number drawn. If not won, the Snowball prize rolls over to the next draw, allowing one additional number each time. Telly Bingo takes place three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with the Telly Bingo TV Gameshow broadcast on RTÉ One at 12.45 p.m.

Scratchcards and Instant Win Games

edit

The National Lottery offers a wide range of scratchcard games and online instant-win games. These accounted for over €298 million in sales in 2022.[95]

Game shows

edit

The National Lottery has funded the prize money for televised game shows. Players who got three "lucky stars" on associated scratchcards could submit them for televised drawings, with the winners appearing as contestants on the game show. The National Lottery's flagship game show Winning Streak featured on RTÉ One on Saturday nights between 1990 and 2020, but production was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and no date has been given for the programme's resumption.[96] Other televised game shows associated with the National Lottery have included Fame & Fortune, The Trump Card, The Big Money Game, and The Million Euro Challenge.

References in other media

edit

In the 1990s, RTÉ produced a sitcom called Upwardly Mobile about a working-class family who won the Lotto and moved to an upper-middle-class area. It ran for three seasons between 1995 and 1997.

Waking Ned (known as Waking Ned Devine in North America) is a comedy film set in a tiny rural village, based on a fictitious winner of the Lotto.

References

edit
  1. ^ "It could be you: lotto sales jump 10pc". The independent. 4 June 2020. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  2. ^ Book (eISB), electronic Irish Statute. "Disbursement of funds". irishstatutebook.ie. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "2022 National Lottery Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  4. ^ Department of the Taoiseach (2 October 1984). Building on Reality 1985-1987 (National Economic Plan) (PDF). Government publications. Vol. Pl.2648 (8679). Ireland: Oireachtas. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  5. ^ McCárthaigh, Seán (30 December 2016). "Fitzgerald and Bruton clashed on lottery funds". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Irish Hospitals Sweepstakes". RTÉ Archives. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Irish Sweepstake scandal remains a lesson to us all". Irish Independent. 7 December 2003. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Irish Sweepstakes Loses Ticket Race to Lotteries, Calls It Quits". Los Angeles Times. 28 February 1987. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  9. ^ Presentation to Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, and Reform by Donal Connell, Chairman, An Post National Lottery Company. Available at http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/media/committees/finance/Presentation.ppt Archived 1 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "An Post wins a lottery extension". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  11. ^ "An Post retains Lottery licence". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  12. ^ "DAVY TO ADVISE ON NATIONAL LOTTERY LICENCE". merrionstreet.ie. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  13. ^ Keena, Colm (26 October 2005). "Lottery director to resign after 18 years in job". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Government considers sale of National Lottery". RTÉ News. 6 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  15. ^ a b "Ireland to raise 405 million euros from lottery licence sale". Reuters. 4 October 2013. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Govt reveals terms for new 20-year licence to operate National Lottery". RTÉ News. 4 April 2012. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  17. ^ "Law allowing for sale of national lottery licence passed". The Irish Times. 18 April 2013. Archived from the original on 22 April 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  18. ^ "Lotto 'will run out of steam' if it can't grow on internet". Irish Independent. 28 March 2013. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  19. ^ "Preferred bidder selected for National Lottery". The Irish Times. 3 October 2013. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  20. ^ Daly, Susan (27 February 2014). "Canadian-owned group to run the Lotto for next 20 years". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  21. ^ a b Walsh, Dominic (21 March 2023). "Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan to sell Irish national lottery operator". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Minister Howlin grants National Lottery Licence to Premier Lotteries Ireland". merrionstreet.ie. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  23. ^ "National Lottery Regulator publishes lottery licence". gov.ie. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  24. ^ Burke-Kennedy, Eoin (2 April 2019). "Lottery boss Dermot Griffin to step down after 14 years in job". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  25. ^ Burke-Kennedy, Eoin (8 May 2019). "National Lottery appoints ex-Paddy Power executive as new boss". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  26. ^ Burke-Kennedy, Eoin (21 March 2023). "National Lottery to be sold as Canadian pension fund owner plans Irish exit". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  27. ^ a b Stedman, Gill (27 July 2023). "FDJ to buy operator of the National Lottery for €350m". RTE News. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  28. ^ Emmet, Ryan (27 July 2023). "French lottery operator buys Irish National Lottery operator in €350m deal". www.businesspost.ie. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  29. ^ O'Donovan, Donal (27 July 2023). "National Lottery operator sold to French group FDJ in €350m deal". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  30. ^ Ihle, John (5 April 2023). "State-owned An Post to sell its National Lottery stake". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  31. ^ Hristov, Angel (6 November 2023). "FDJ Completes PLI Acquisition, Expands International Presence". GamblingNews. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  32. ^ Coyle, Colin (5 May 2024). "National Lottery plans to move its HQ to new location". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  33. ^ "Cian Murphy to take over as CEO of lottery operator". RTE News. 2 April 2024. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  34. ^ "Term of office of Regulator". irishstatutebook.ie. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  35. ^ Reporter, Post. "Liam Sloyan named as first regulator of the National Lottery". Business Post. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  36. ^ Burke-Kennedy, Eoin. "Competition authority official to become new lotto watchdog". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  37. ^ "Appointment of new regulator of the National Lottery". gov.ie. 13 October 2018. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  38. ^ Oireachtas, Houses of the (10 March 2015). "Finance Committee to consider National Lottery outages – 10 Mar 2015, 14.39 – Houses of the Oireachtas". oireachtas.ie. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  39. ^ Brennan, Cianan (4 February 2015). "Lotto cancelled until tomorrow after lottery machines go on the blink". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  40. ^ Goodbody, Will (8 October 2020). "Regulator finds breaches by National Lottery operator". Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  41. ^ Ryan, Órla (8 October 2020). "Lottery scratch card prizes were 'omitted due to human error', inquiry finds". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  42. ^ "National Lottery operators defend spending vast majority of unclaimed prizes on advertising". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  43. ^ "Performance of National Lottery regulator questioned". RTE News. 24 November 2022. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  44. ^ MacRedmond, David (5 September 2023). "Regulator withheld €‎150,000 from National Lottery over handling of problem gambling accounts". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  45. ^ "Lottery operator fined after breaches affecting problem gamblers". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  46. ^ "One Million Lottery Tickets Sold". RTÉ Archives. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  47. ^ Gallagher, Conor. "Lottery spent over €90m in unclaimed prize money on advertising". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  48. ^ "Lotto Celebrates 30 Years of Draws | Irish National Lottery". lottery.ie. Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  49. ^ Pownall, Sylvia (29 July 2017). "Total Lotto payout over last 30 years is enough to build 17 Croke Park stadiums". DublinLive. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  50. ^ "How to Play Lotto | Cost | Quick Pick | Irish National Lottery". lottery.ie. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  51. ^ a b c d Collins, Liam (30 July 2017). "How a secret syndicate managed to 'buy' the Lotto". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  52. ^ Fowler, Rebecca (4 January 1996). "How to make a killing on the lottery". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022.
  53. ^ a b c Bielenberg, Kim (27 November 2021). "'It was absolutely crazy': the inside story of Ireland's most audacious Lotto coup". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  54. ^ a b Purfield & Waldron (1997). "Extending the Mean-Variance Framework to Test the Attractiveness of Skewness in Lotto Play" (PDF). Economics Technical Papers, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics. 974. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  55. ^ "National Lottery 2006 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  56. ^ a b Burke-Kennedy, Eoin. "Cost of National Lottery will rise from 1 September". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  57. ^ Hennessy, Michelle (7 August 2015). "The Lotto's about to get more expensive - and you'll have less of a chance of winning". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  58. ^ a b Healy, Claire (7 August 2015). "You might not be too happy with these HUGE changes to Irish Lotto". Irish Mirror. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  59. ^ "Record Lotto jackpot of over €19m tonight – here's why it can't go any higher than this weekend". Irish Independent. 2 October 2021. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  60. ^ Nevin, Emma (17 January 2022). "List of locations where lucky Dublin Lotto tickets were sold for Saturday's draw". DublinLive. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  61. ^ McGreevy, Ronan. "National Lottery request for 'must win' draw put on hold by regulator". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  62. ^ Halpin, Hayley (30 September 2021). "Lotto jackpot capped at new record of €19,060,800 until won". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  63. ^ "Lotto Ireland: Second highest lotto jackpot ever of €18m up for grabs tonight". Irish Independent. 25 September 2021. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  64. ^ Halpin, Hayley (30 September 2021). "Lotto jackpot capped at new record of €19,060,800 until won". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  65. ^ Wilson, Jade; Pope, Conor. "Lotto should be investigated after six months of no winners, Fine Gael TD says". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  66. ^ Donaghy, Gerard. "'Shergar Squid Game' jibe as Irish politician calls for lottery investigation". The Irish Post. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  67. ^ "Now Minister for Finance Paschal Donohue wades into TD's calls for National Lottery probe". msn.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  68. ^ Oireachtas, Houses of the (14 December 2021). "Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform and Taoiseach to discuss insurance and issues relating to National Lottery – 14 Dec 2021, 16.30 – Houses of the Oireachtas". oireachtas.ie. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  69. ^ "Irish lottery: When will the jackpot be won again?". BBC News. 18 December 2021. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  70. ^ Meskill, Tommy (15 December 2021). "Lottery operator wants approval for 'must win' jackpot". Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  71. ^ Meskill, Tommy (12 January 2022). "Lotto 'must-win' draw on Saturday as jackpot unclaimed". Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  72. ^ Gleeson, Colin. "Record €19m Lotto jackpot will be clinched in 'must be won' draw". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  73. ^ McGreevy, Ronan; Wilson, Jade. "Shops 'manic' ahead of 'must-win' record Lotto draw". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  74. ^ Pope, Conor. "Co Mayo player claims record €19m Lotto jackpot". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 16 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  75. ^ Gleeson, Colin. "'It's impossible to explain': Winners of record €19m Lotto jackpot claim their prize". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  76. ^ O'Connor, Niall (12 January 2022). "National Lottery clears way for must win €19m draw this Saturday to end seven month run". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  77. ^ Harrison, Bernice. "Campaign urges punters to take a gamble on new Lotto Plus game". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  78. ^ "More Information on the Lotto Plus game change | Irish National Lottery". lottery.ie. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  79. ^ "Lotto Plus Million Euro Raffle | Irish National Lottery". lottery.ie. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  80. ^ Burke-Kennedy, Eoin. "Cost of National Lottery will rise from 1 September". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  81. ^ a b c d "How to Play Lotto 5-4-3-2-1". Lottery.ie. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  82. ^ "Limerick woman claims €115m lottery prize". RTÉ News. 4 August 2005. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  83. ^ "Ireland and the Euromillions: The biggest winners since 2005". The Irish Times. 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  84. ^ Daly, Adam (March 2019). "'A dream come true for us': Dublin family collect €175.4 million EuroMillions jackpot prize". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  85. ^ "How to Play EuroMillions | Game Info | Irish National Lottery". lottery.ie. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  86. ^ Burke, Céimin (21 August 2021). "Lotto players in Dublin and Waterford scoop €1 million in Euromillions draw". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  87. ^ "How to Play EuroDreams | Annuity Prize | Irish National Lottery". www.lottery.ie. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  88. ^ a b c "New EuroDreams game promises winners €20,000 a month for 30 years". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  89. ^ a b "EuroDreams FAQs | Useful Info | Irish National Lottery". www.lottery.ie. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  90. ^ "National Lottery "Daily Million"" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  91. ^ "National Lottery expands Daily Million to two draws per day". Independent.ie. 18 April 2016. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  92. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions | Irish National Lottery". Archived from the original on 25 June 2017.
  93. ^ "Anger over Millionaire Raffle". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  94. ^ "How to Play Millionaire Raffle | Irish National Lottery". www.lottery.ie. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  95. ^ "Regulator of the National Lottery Annual Report 2022" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  96. ^ Mallon, Sandra (16 February 2023). "Winning Streak bosses planning revamp but show will not return in 2023". Irish Mirror. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Lottery_(Ireland)&oldid=1259015884#Telly_Bingo"