Irish Senate to revisit lottery betting ban amid concerns over good causes funding

Ireland’s Senate is set to debate a proposed ban on lottery betting, a practice that critics say is siphoning off funds from charitable causes. The debate comes two years after a similar proposal was blocked.

The latest data from the National Lottery operator shows that lottery betting cuts funding for good causes by 20% annually. As a result, Ireland remains one of the few EU countries that has not yet banned the practice, which is already prohibited in most member states to protect the revenues of local lotteries and retail commissions.

Tara Buckley, director general of The Retail Grocery Dairy & Allied Trades Association (RGDATA), has urged the government to act swiftly. In a letter to Paschal Donohoe, the Minister for Public Expenditure, she wrote: “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’s appeal comes ahead of the debate on Amendment No. 113, introduced by Senator Barry Ward during the Committee Stage of the Gambling Regulation Bill on 26 September 2024. The amendment seeks to prohibit unauthorized entities from offering gambling on the National Lottery unless explicitly permitted under the National Lottery Act 2013.

James Browne, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, acknowledged the amendment but said the matter falls under Donohoe's jurisdiction. He committed to discussing it with his colleague, leading Ward to temporarily withdraw the amendment, with plans to reintroduce it at the Report Stage.

Ward previously attempted to introduce a ban in 2022 through a Lottery Amendment Bill aimed at stopping commercial betting operations from using National Lottery infrastructure. That proposal was rejected by Green Party Minister Ossian Smyth at the time.

Opponents of the ban, including the Irish Bookmakers Association, argue that such a move would hurt consumer choice, reduce tax revenue, and put jobs at risk. "A ban on lottery betting would be a loss in consumer choice, a net loss to Revenue, and the potential loss of hundreds of jobs. Crucially, it will not have the desired policy outcome of increasing the Good Causes Fund,” the association said in a statement.