Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be very brief. Following on from my colleague, I am speaking only of my local bingo games that have been in operation for the past 25 years to raise funds for the local youth clubs, football pitches etc. These bingo games pay out some €1,300 a week. They are not, therefore, tied into this 5% profit issue, but there is awful confusion about that and we need to get this issue clarified. I am glad the Minister of State is nodding his head in agreement with me because the real problem is the information circulating. Representatives from those bingo games were in contact with me today and they had that opinion. I am glad the Minister of State is again nodding his head on this issue because this is where the crux of this issue lies. As I mentioned, our local bingo games pay out some €1,300 a week. Sometimes we pay out 85% and other times 110%, when we have not got enough in to pay the prizes, because there is a set prize fund.

I have one other question on this issue for the Minister of State. What is the situation concerning local lottos? I am referring to clubs that run local lottos voluntarily to raise funding for local football pitches and such like where the prizes could run into €5,000 or €6,000 over seven, eight or nine months. Those lotto games take place over months. Does that €5,000 apply per week to that lotto? The Minister of State is nodding his head to indicate that it does, so then there is no problem.

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