In a statement shared with SBC News, the Irish Bookmakers Association (IBA) has defended the betting industry against claims made by the National Lottery.
Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI), the operator of the Irish National Lottery, argues it is losing hundreds of millions of euros a year in sales revenue and tens of millions in returns to good causes.
In an assessment of the National Lottery’s economic impact, PLI argued that the decades-old practice of retail and online bookmakers taking bets on National Lottery draws is impacting lottery sales.
The FDJ United-owned company has called for a ‘regulatory gap’ between the National Lottery and Ireland’s extensive licenced betting sector to be closed. The organisation was joined by two other associations, representing charities and retailers.
In response, Sharon Byrne, Chairperson of the IBA, said: “We fundamentally disagree with the National Lottery’s argument. Our customers have been betting on lotteries with their local bookmaker for over 30 years now.
“Betting on the outcome of a lottery is no different to betting on the outcome of any event, and it’s an established product for many shops, which are already facing new rules and regulations under the upcoming licensing regime.”
Too many changes for Ireland’s new betting landscape?
The regulatory changes referenced by Byrne have been ushered in by the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. The legislation introduced to the Oireachtas in 2022 by the Irish government with the aim of modernising Ireland’s decades old gambling regulations.
A key change introduced by the legislation was the creation of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), a new industry-specific regulator which is taking full charge of licensing this year.
The Act also created a Social Impact Fund, which operators pay into mandatorily each year, with funds used to support gambling harm prevention and treatment programmes, among other initiatives.
As with most legislation though, it has left some people wanting more – whether it be those calling for stricter regulation of gambling advertising in Ireland, or the National Lottery operator and its protests against bookmakers’ lottery bets.
For the IBA, and the bookmakers it represents, cutting off a revenue stream for betting firms may be a step too far amid both an adjustment to regulatory changes as well as some operators having to reconsider their presence on the Irish highstreet.
“Our members welcome the new Gambling Regulation Act, but it’s important there’s a level playing field,” Byrne remarked.
Any regulatory challenges or disagreements aside, Ireland remains a key target market for a number of betting operators, large and small. Just last week, Eurasia Sport‘s 3et became the latest to launch in the market, following Fitzwilliam Sports and DragonBet.
