Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 33:

In page 23, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following:"(11) The defence provided for in subsection (10) shall apply to a person, including An Post National Lottery Company, who sells a ticket (including by way of interactive channels) while the licence granted to that company under the National Lottery Act 1986 is in force.".

This is a significant amendment to provide that the defence provided for in subsection (10) will apply while the current licence is in force. It is envisaged that the amendment will allow the national lottery company to put in place arrangements for registering to play lottery games on the Internet which will be less cumbersome than those which currently apply under the pilot scheme. I understand the current arrangements involve the player posting a copy of his or her passport to the national lottery offices in Abbey Street. I am advised that this cumbersome mechanism leads to many people who log on to the process not completing it. I understand the fall off between registration and sending a copy of a passport is approximately 70%.