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| Region | Ireland |
|---|---|
| First draw | 1986 |
| Chief executive | Cian Murphy |
| Regulated by | Regulator of the National Lottery (Carol Boate) |
| Legislation |
|
| Highest jackpot | €19,060,800 (Lotto, 29 September 2021–15 January 2022) |
| Odds of winning jackpot | 1 in 10,737,573 (Lotto) |
| Shown on | RTÉ One |
| Website | lottery.ie |
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.
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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Book (eISB), electronic Irish Statute. "Disbursement of funds". irishstatutebook.ie. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ a b "2022 National Lottery Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.