We are committed to operating the National Lottery in a socially responsible way. Our aim is to provide exciting and engaging lottery games that bring fun and entertainment to everyone, while ensuring as far as possible that individuals play within their means and that the vulnerable and persons less than 18 years of age are protected.
Here are some of the ways we work to ensure that our games do not encourage excessive or underage play:
Winning a prize is always a matter of luck. There is no skill required in order to win a prize and therefore, no matter how you play, you cannot influence the outcome. It is not possible to work out or control an outcome that is based on chance and people who try to do this risk losing a lot of money.
For example, when you flip a coin, the chance of it landing on heads is the same as the chance of it landing on tails i.e. there is a 50% chance. If you repeatedly flip a coin, and heads comes up a number of times in a row, it is easy to think that tails might be âdueâ on the next flip. This is often referred to as the âGamblerâs Fallacyâ â when someone mistakenly believes that the onset of a certain random event is less likely to happen following an event or series of events. This line of thinking is incorrect because past events do not change the probability that certain events will occur in the future. In this example, each coin flip is an independent event, which means that any and all previous flips have no bearing on future ones.Â
This can also be applied to Lottery Games â whether you are playing online or buying in-store. Although our games have an âodds on winningâ statement, you cannot increase your chances of winning by playing or buying more. For example, a scratch card might state that the odds on winning are 1 in 4. This does not mean that buying four scratch cards will guarantee a win. The prizes are randomly spread throughout an entire game, and winning a prize is purely a matter of luck.Â
Remember to play responsibly and to play for fun.
For the majority of our participants, gaming is a source of fun and excitement. However, a few might experience difficulties controlling the amount of time or money that they spend.
It can be useful to consider certain behaviours to ensure that not just National Lottery games, but all the games you play, remain fun. To help you evaluate this, and to shine some light on where you are, you can choose to take the GamTest. This is a short online quiz provided by GamCare. There are 16 questions developed by specialists, which allow you to decide if the negatives of your overall gaming patterns outweigh the positives.
After the quiz, you will be provided with some useful information about ways you can control your spend. Â There are also resources which you might find useful. To complete the quiz, simply click on the button below.
Whilst the majority of people play within their means, a few may encounter difficulties. Players should always remember the following:
Problem gambling is defined as a compulsion to continue gambling despite the negative consequences it may have. Whilst most people do not experience any difficulties with play, we know that for a small few people, there is a risk that they might have such difficulties.
We understand that some people who might be experiencing difficulties with their play might not realise it straight away. If you are concerned about someone close to you, see the external resources below for details of where to get help.
Here at the National Lottery, we know that we have a responsibility to help our customers to play responsibly and for fun. We are committed to doing all that we can to empower our players with the tools that they need to protect themselves. We have a player protection panel who meet regularly to review the responsible play measures that we have in place. Our measures are regularly reviewed and improved upon to ensure that we are best in class when it comes to responsible play. Below are details of some of the tools which you might find useful when operating your online account:
National Lottery Play Online encourages its players not to play beyond their means. We accept deposits as low as âŹ10. You will be subject to a daily maximum spending limit of âŹ75, a weekly maximum limit of âŹ300 and a monthly maximum limit of âŹ900. Remember that these are maximum limits, not targets.
You can choose to self-impose a lower limit to the system limits above. A downward revision will take effect immediately, while an upward revision will require a 24hour waiting period before it is activated.
In addition, the amount in the Wallet in your Player Account shall not exceed âŹ750 at any one time or such other sum as we may specify to you from time to time. If your online wallet balance exceeds âŹ750 at any time you will be prevented from playing/purchasing any further games. You must reduce your wallet balance below âŹ750 to continue playing; any amount withdrawn will only be issued by cheque. All cheques issued by an Interactive system are sent to the Name & Address contained in the Playerâs Interactive Profile, all cheques issued are stamped âAccount Payee Onlyâ.
To change your spending limits, login to your account and select 'Spending limits' from the left-hand menu.
At the National Lottery, we want all of our players to play responsibly and to play for fun. If at any stage you find that our online games or draws are playing too large a part in your life, you should consider taking a break. We have a range of options to suit every need:
You can choose to lock yourself out of any or all Interactive Instant Win Games for a minimum period of two days or for longer if you wish. In order to do this, simply:
You can choose to close your account for one or six months. If you decide to do this, your account will be closed for the period you select and we will return your wallet balance to you by cheque. During your account closure you will not be able to play any Instant Win Games or Draw-Based Games. Additionally, we will not send you any notifications, including marketing notifications.
To close your account for one or six months:
You can choose to close your account permanently. If you decide to do this, your account will be closed permanently, we will return any balance in your wallet to you by cheque and you will no longer receive any notifications, including marketing messages, from the National Lottery.
To close your account:
If you experience any difficulties taking a break or closing your account, you can contact our Customer Services Team on 1890 244 344 and they will assist you. Their opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 09:30 â 20:00.
You can view your transactions on National Lottery Play Online by clicking on "Manage My Account" section of the Website. You will be able to access certain data from the Website relating to your previous ninety (90) days Game play. If a player would like a copy of additional transaction history beyond this period, it can be provided upon request by contacting info@lottery.ie.
There are default upper limits on what you can spend while playing online, but players can also choose to adjust daily, weekly or monthly limits downwards allowing them to remain in full control of online spending habits. While logged in to your account you can access these controls or by visiting the My Wallet area in the My Account section of Lottery.ie. Â
It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to open an account or to play National Lottery Online. All new users are required to agree to our Terms and Conditions and click a separate check box confirming they are at least 18-years of age at the time of account creation. At the National Lottery, we recognise that the internet is readily available in many homes and because of this, we must work together with parents to prevent children from underage gaming. Below are some tips which you might find useful for helping to protect minors:
If you need to talk to someone about problem play then contact the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 753 753 or www.gamblersanonymous.ie or telephone Gamblers Anonymous Dublin on (01) 8721133, Cork 087-2859552, Galway 086-3494450, Tipperary 085-7831045 or Waterford 087-1850294/ 086-2683538. Another useful website is www.problemgambling.ie which provides support and resources to anyone whose life has been negatively impacted by problem play.
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We have also partnered with The Rutland Centre, which specialises in support and treatment of those experiencing addiction difficulties. If you wish, you can email any concerns you might have to the address below and a support specialist will respond to you. Please note that messages sent to this address will be reviewed internally by a member of PLI staff to ensure that unrelated messages are not sent in error.
Contact us at: responsibleplay@lottery.ie