Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are all aware that the national lottery has experienced three outages or interruptions in service in recent weeks, including the cancellation of one draw. I am concerned about the impact these interruptions could have on sales at ticket terminals and that it would drive lottery players to an online environment. The new operators of the national lottery have made it clear that they see huge potential in developing the online sales channel. However, there is no doubt that the potential for irresponsible playing is greater online than in a face-to-face environment in shops. This is particularly the case when one realises that the online national lottery allows a customer to spend up to €75 per day on its games and to keep €750 on account with the lottery. These are inordinate amounts of money for people to be spending on a State-owned form of gambling. We need assurances from the operators of the national lottery on the controls that they will introduce to ensure we do not create online lotto junkies. I suggest that these controls need to be overseen by the national lottery regulator. I will seek assurances on this matter from the operator of the national lottery and the national lottery regulator at next week's meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform. I am sure the Leader agrees with me that these matters are of huge concern.