National Lottery to educate retailers around sale of lotto products to children – The National Lottery operator is rolling out a new campaign to reduce what its regulator has called the “unacceptable” number of retailers who are failing to implement rules around the sale of lotto products to children.
What Happened
Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI), owned by French lottery operator La Française des Jeux, announced a new mandatory compliance training program for all retailers. This program will include training videos providing clear guidance and practical instruction on age control laws under the National Lottery licence and Irish laws governing the sale of lotto products. Retailers will also be educated about the “impact of underage gambling” and “best practice approaches to preventing underage play”.
National Lottery chief executive Cian Murphy stated that further measures, such as a new retailer app and additional training videos, are planned for the coming months. The new education campaign, dubbed “TLC: Think, Look, Check”, was unveiled at an event in Dublin with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Jack Chambers.
Key Details
- Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) is implementing new mandatory compliance training videos for all retailers.
- The training will cover age control laws, the impact of underage gambling, and best practice approaches.
- This campaign follows an October report from the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL) which found 28% of retailers were not properly implementing age verification rules.
- The ORNL’s 2024 mystery shopper exercise deemed this level of non-compliance “unacceptable” despite some progress since 2018.
- Further initiatives, including a new retailer app and additional training videos, are planned.
- Regulator Carol Boate confirmed proactive engagement with PLI to enhance compliance.
- National Lottery ticket sales reached €855.7 million in 2024, a 3.2% increase from 2023, with online sales representing 18.1% of the total.
Why It Matters
This new educational campaign by the National Lottery is a direct response to persistent concerns raised by its regulator regarding underage gambling. By providing comprehensive training and support, PLI aims to enhance retailer compliance with age restriction laws, thereby protecting vulnerable individuals and maintaining the integrity and public trust in the National Lottery. The move underscores a collaborative effort between the operator and the regulator to address a critical social responsibility, especially given the significant sales figures and growing online presence of the National Lottery.