The Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL), which oversees the National Lottery in Ireland, has published its annual report for 2023. 

The regulator has reported that sales for 2023 experienced a 6.2% decrease year-on-year and follows on from 2022, which also saw a drop off from 2021 when there was a record high amount of €1.05bn ($1.14bn) recorded in sales. 

However, it did highlight the fact that during 2023 it introduced a new revenue stream in the first new draw-based National Lottery game in Ireland since 2004 called EuroDreams.  

Furthermore, during the year, ORNL made improvements to its self-exclusion facility, which now allows players to lock themselves out of all current and future Interactive Instant Win games, while they can also opt out of receiving marketing messages. 

Other improvements during the year made by the regulator include the way in which players claim prizes. Those who have verified their identity can now transfer online winnings electronically to their bank account, and mid-tier prizes won on National Lottery tickets purchased online are now paid directly into the player’s bank account. 

On top of releasing its annual report for 2023, ORNL announced that it had found Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) to be in breach of its licence. 

Good to know: La Française des Jeux (FDJ) completed its acquisition of PLI in late 2023 

The breach occurred between September and October 2022, where a technical issue meant a number of players accessed the Check My Numbers Facility on the PLI website when the service should not have been available; as draw results had not been verified. 

Some players were then met with a ‘Ticket Not a Winner’ message, eventually leading to 394 prizes going unclaimed. 

As a result of this, the regulator withheld €23,000 from payments due to the operator, with the money being given to the Exchequer to fund good causes. It has been mentioned that PLI self-identified the issue in 2022 and reported it to ORNL. 

This news comes as the Gambling Regulation Bill in Ireland approaches its final stages, with it set for debate in the Dáil tonight.