Public Expenditure and Reform | Update on National Lottery proceeds

To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which the highest possible prizes have been won by players of the National Lottery in the past twelve months; the way that this corresponds with the number of times that major prizes were won in the previous year; the extent of the cost of advertising in the past twelve months and in the previous year; if the community receives 90% of the proceeds of the National Lottery as advertised on television; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

The National Lottery is a significant asset which plays an important role in generating funds for Good Causes throughout Ireland and across a range of areas including sport and recreation, culture and heritage, community health, the arts, and youth affairs.

The National Lottery Fund transferred €289m to the Exchequer in 2021 which represents a significant 14% increase on 2020 and is a record, unprecedented figure under the license commenced by Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) in 2014.

Circa €6 billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery commenced operations in 1987.

The number of times that the jackpot / top prize has been won in National Lottery draws in 2022 and 2021 is as set out in the table below.

The spend on advertising by PLI the operator of the National Lottery, for the last 12 months, is not currently available as the operator’s 2022 audited financial statements are not yet available.

The amounts allocated to the community (as defined in the operator’s advertisements, they include prizes, plus amounts to retailers’ commission, plus amounts to good causes) are about 90%.