Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The claim by the national lottery that sales have not been affected by the changeover is completely at variance with the feedback from retailers. Why would retailers lie? Would the national lottery publish figures to demonstrate the pattern in sales since the switchover? In the Sunday Independent, the chief executive officer said he did not expect fines or sanctions to be imposed on the operator by the national lottery regulator. Has he got an assurance in this regard from the regulator? A report in The Starmentioned a player in Wexford who got two lines with the exact same numbers on a EuroMillions quick-pick ticket despite odds of 30 million to one against this. On 7 February The Mirrorreported a player in Knowth who complained that his winning ticket purchased in December was not recognised by the new machine, and he had to battle to have his prize awarded. Player confidence in the integrity of the national lottery systems is critical, and this sort of news bemuses customers. Who audits the technical side of the national lottery? What is the role of the national lottery regulator in checking the integrity of the technical systems? Some issues have been raised in the media about the national lottery technology supplier Intralot, including concerns about its record in other countries. Are alarm bells not starting to ring for the national lottery that some of the problems that have followed Intralot may also appear here? Is it a case of “You get what you pay for”? What steps will the national lottery take to restore its credibility in the eyes of retailers and customers?