Statement from Premier Lotteries Ireland

Premier Lotteries Ireland DAC (PLI), operators of the State’s National Lottery, welcomes the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2021.  

This report confirms that prizes available to National Lottery participants have risen broadly in line with returns to Good Causes, which rose by 62% in the period 2015 to 2021.

The report makes clear that this growth in benefit for National Lottery Prize Winners and Good Causes, has been achieved in accordance with the terms of the Government’s licence, including the stipulation that expired unclaimed prizes may be used for the benefit of the National Lottery by PLI through promotion including marketing of the National Lottery.  

The promotion of the National Lottery, in accordance with the licence, is a key component of PLI’s strategy to the benefit of players through larger prizes, Good Causes through higher funding and National Lottery Retail Agents through larger commission. 

The C&AG report and PLI’s audited financial results for 2021, show that prizes for players was €586m (56%), Good Causes Funding was €304m (29%), and commission to retailers was €55m (5%).  This reaffirms that 90% of money raised in sales by the National Lottery are returned to Irish communities in the form of prizes, funding for Good Causes and commission paid to retailers all over Ireland.