LOTTO’S LOSERS
Bosses slam rogue online games
CASH for good causes is in danger if gamblers ditch the National Lottery to play dodgy online games, its chief executive warned yesterday.
Players are shifting from the ball drum to take a flutter on unregulated offshore betting games.
At a meeting at Leinster House yesterday bosses urged politicians to crackdown on the cowboy operators.
Lotto chief Dermot Griffin said: “The National Lottery is concerned at the rapid growth of unregulated, off-shore, bet-on-lottery operators in Ireland over the last 18 months.
“The activities of these operators are posing a serious threat to the National Lottery and the millions raised for good causes.” Nearly 30 cent in every euro goes to youth, sports and community groups – last year €226million was raised.
The rogue online games do not run their own lotteries, instead they let players bet on the outcome of draws. Mr Griffin said: “There is a gap in the regulatory environment in Ireland which allows betting on the outcome of lotteries. “Off-shore betting companies, underwritten by insurers, are exploiting this. “While they have a remote bookmakers licence from Revenue, unlike us they are unregulated. “They utilise the names Lotto and Euromillions potentially leading players to believe they are contributing to good causes.”