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THE OFFICE OF the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL) has today released its annual report for 2022 and among the findings was a case in which Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) had €150,000 withheld by the regulator over a “breach of the license”.
The breach concerned the handling of online accounts which users had self-excluded, an option which aims to protect problem gamblers. PLI deleted 126 such accounts in error in October 2021 and the regulator appointed an investigator to look into the matter.
“It was discovered that this was due to an algorithm designed to delete closed accounts after two years in order to comply with GDPR. However, the Operator had previously voluntarily introduced a new permanent self-exclusion option for players in 2019 to prevent problem gaming,” the regulator said in a statement accompanying the report.
These deleted accounts should have been maintained by PLI as permanently closed to prevent their owners from opening new accounts, the statement continued.
“It was found that 16 of the affected players had, in fact, opened a new account. Ten of these players purchased tickets through their new accounts, totalling €3,292 in sales, and four players received marketing emails from the Operator,” the statement read, adding that “accounts that were temporarily self-excluded were not affected”.
The sum of €150,000 was “subsequently transferred to the Exchequer for Good Causes”.
As a result of the precedent set by this action, the regulator said it is now empowered to seek a financial sanction for similar future breaches.
“As well as withholding monies from the Operator, enhanced controls have since been put in place to detect and prevent any self-excluded player from opening another account.
“On foot of the statutory finding and direction, the Regulator is now empowered to seek a financial sanction by the High Court on the Operator for any future non-compliance with this direction.
“This effectively creates a new sanction for future breaches of self-exclusion controls.”
Carol Boate, head regulator of the National Lottery said that there were “both opportunities and obstacles” for her office in 2022, “particularly in the interests of player protection.”
“The introduction of mandatory age and identity verification checks for all online players has created even tighter controls for opening a National Lottery account online.”
Boate said she was “confident” that the measure had already “deterred and prevented underage and problem gamers from accessing National Lottery games online” and that this included those who self-exclude.
The effect of the finding of a breach by the Operator in respect of self-excluded players has been to further tighten controls that detect and prevent such players from opening another account.
“The creation of a new potential sanction before the High Court lays down a marker that says there can be no further breach by the Operator of its obligations to players who choose to self-exclude.”
Elsewhere in the 2022 report, the regulator said that new security features on the lottery’s online channel had been put in place. They include new mandatory age and identity verification checks of all online players.
“This provides increased protection against underage play and players attempting to circumvent limits on spending, or a self-exclusion period.”
The report also disclosed that online sales had not grown relative to retail sales for the first time ever.
It also stated that National Lottery sales had decreased for the first time since 2014.
The regulator said that sales had decreased by 16% compared with 2021, which was partially put down to a surge in 2021 sales when the unwon jackpot kept mounting week on week.
“Sales for the year were €884.1 million in a return to pre-pandemic levels (2019: €884.5 million). A decrease was expected given the unprecedented Lotto jackpot rollover which drove higher than normal sales in 2021, followed by the impact on household budgets of rising inflation during 2022.”
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That doesn’t make sense – if all they were worth is €100,000 , would it not better be to keep them for now?? As in they pretty much already brought all loss they possibly could…
I couldn’t make such bollox of something like that deal no matter how hard I tried.
The interesting thing though is that if you did it, you would loose your job for The 3p’s – piss poor performance. In Ireland no one will loose their jobs, no one will be held accountable for this latest disaster in our banks. Same shite for decades, when AIB went bust in the 80′s and were bailed out by Garret Fitz and FG, no one was held accountable, no bonuses were cut. Garrett got a non-recourse loan off the back of that in thanks. The banks own FG and FF, and neither party will say boo to them for any actions they take.
A.I.B. aren’t alone there, a fair chunk of the country lost varying amounts in Bulgaria, thinking it was the next property bubble.
40 grand for a single room (sorry, studio!) with jacks off it, only about four hours by road from the nearest airport, and populated with surly youths and opportunistic taxi drivers.
Come to think of it, it wasn’t too dissimiliar to the Irish property market in parts, at all!
Except for the price that is. But 230 million down to a hundred k is hard to beat!
So many people have lost their investments in Bulgarian property, so many have lost their investments in AIB shares…but at least the directors are still well paid!
This should have been listed for sale in the Irish Papers first , Minister reprimand this official please , any more surprises !
Do you really think anyone in Ireland would invest €35,100,000 in a Bulgarian bank riddled with debt?
If someone is willing to pay 100k surely they intend to turn profit so why AIB can’t? Are they stupid or what? Why this wasn’t offered for sale here???
Because the people that were investing were taking on a heap of debt.
Yes Sean, yes they are!
I can understand at some stage having to cut your losses but I would like to know if any of the “lads” made a nice profit on this deal.
Bunch of useless gangsters and morons, all of them
Can’t say I’m crying any tears for them, except that no doubt they’ll find some way of making the taxpayer foot the bill for the loss.
*facepalm
This stinks, sold to the girlfriend ? The AIB executives involved should be named and shamed. A file should be sent to the DPP but it will sit there with the rest.
If AIB and Bank of Ireland or Anglo Irish Directors start going to jail, they are going to take a lot of FF and FG TD’s with them. They aren’t going to allow that, better to just over look the free loans and debt cancellations that the banks gave to Taoiseach’s such as Haughey and Garrett Fitzgerald.
have your say