Ireland Lottery Operator Pushes for Betting Ban on Draws

Ireland’s National Lottery operator wants a ban on lottery betting that lets bookmakers profit from draw outcomes. Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) has called on the government to prohibit this practice. It argues that bookmakers drain hundreds of millions from the official game each year, and it is pushing for action before new gambling laws settle the matter the wrong way.

A €289 Million Problem

The scale of the issue, according to PLI, is significant. The operator estimates that bookmaker lottery betting diverts around €289 million in annual sales from the National Lottery. In 2024, bettors placed €828 million in wagers on lottery draws through bookmakers rather than buying official tickets.

The financial damage runs further than lost sales. PLI says approximately €81 million less reached good causes last year as a result. The National Lottery funds sports, arts, and community programmes across Ireland. Retailers also lost out, with an estimated €238 million in sales gone and close to 1,929 fewer jobs linked to the shift in habits.

PLI claims the current framework is also eroding the value of its licence. It estimates the licence is worth between €118 million and €250 million less than it would be under rules that restricted this form of betting. That is a large cost to attach to a regulatory gap that nobody has formally closed.

Confusion at the Counter

PLI chief executive Cian Murphy argues the problem goes beyond revenue. He says many players do not realise they are not participating in the official lottery when betting with a bookmaker. A third of them believe they are contributing to good causes. They are not.

Murphy says some bookmaker products closely mirror official National Lottery games in branding and structure. PLI research finds that 35% of bookmaker lottery bettors would buy official tickets if the bookmaker option did not exist. The Ireland lottery betting ban push also draws on the wider European picture. Twenty-five of 27 EU member states have already prohibited bookmakers from taking bets on lottery draw outcomes. Ireland sits among the exceptions.

Bookmakers Fire Back

The Irish Bookmakers Association (IBA) rejects PLI’s case entirely. Chairperson Sharon Byrne says the practice has been part of Irish betting culture for over three decades. The IBA holds that betting on a lottery draw differs in no meaningful way from betting on any other event. It also points to real distinctions between bookmaker products and official lottery games, including lower entry costs and fixed odds.

Byrne questions PLI’s motives too. She argues the push for an Ireland lottery betting ban reflects competitive concern rather than any genuine public interest case. The IBA welcomes the new regulatory framework but insists it must apply equally to all operators. Using new rules to protect the lottery from competition, she argues, would not constitute a level playing field.

Timing Is Everything

This debate arrives at a critical moment for Irish gambling law. The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is now in implementation, and the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) is becoming the country’s new licensing body. Murphy warns that if the government does not act now, bookmaker lottery betting could gain formal legal status rather than face proper scrutiny.

A Decision That Cannot Wait

The dispute between Ireland’s lottery operator and its bookmaking industry is not new. But the regulatory overhaul has given it real urgency. PLI wants a ban before the window closes. Bookmakers want consistent rules with no special treatment for the lottery. The government’s next move will define not just who profits from lottery-adjacent betting, but where Ireland draws the line in its newly regulated gambling market.