The Irish Regulator of the National Lottery, and yes, that is the exact name of the body, received 28 complaints last year, with issues relating to the online player experience accounting for the largest share. This is according to The Irish Times.
Out of the total complaints submitted to the regulator's office, 10 were related to a vaguely described 'online experience,' seven concerned game design and five addressed the information provided to players. Meanwhile, another five originated from retailers. According to the regulator’s annual report, only one complaint was not related to the lottery at all.
After receiving two complaints in 2024 and 2025, the regulator asked for phrases such as “easy money” and “giving away lots of cash” to be removed from the Telly Bingo programme’s script, a request the lottery operator swiftly accepted.
The regulator also reviewed the operator’s responsible gambling measures and marketing practices.
It examined marketing emails sent to Lotto account holders. These emails are sent only when players explicitly opt in. In its annual report, the regulator acknowledged that the Lotto operator “monitors player activity for risk indicators that are suggestive of problem gambling,” and also sends a “responsible play communication” to encourage players to reflect on their spending.
National Lottery ticket sales amounted to €871m ($980.7m) last year, up 1.8% from €855m in 2024. Online sales represented nearly one in five purchases, totalling €155m.
The National Lottery contributed almost €240m to its good causes programme, funding community projects, charities and public services, marking a 1% rise compared with the previous year.
Meanwhile, Irish researchers are calling for a ban on €1 and €2 scratchcards as part of a broader set of measures aimed at reducing gambling-related harm among both adults and children.
The proposals are outlined in a paper published in the Irish Journal of Medical Science, authored by researchers from the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Limerick and University College Cork.
Lead author Dr Frank Houghton, Principal Investigator of the Tobacco, Alcohol and Gambling Research Group at TUS, said low-cost scratchcards are too easily accessible to children.
Last month, Ireland's gambling regulator, GRAI, warned that funding constraints are delaying remote gaming licensing and action against overseas black-market operators
