National Lottery CEO Warns Bookmaker Lottery Betting Threatens Good Causes Funding

^{Premier Lotteries Ireland chief executive Cian Murphy has raised concerns about lottery betting as the operator reports a return to profit. (Photo: Davekern / Wikimedia Commons)}

Cian Murphy, chief executive of Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI), has warned that lottery betting products offered by bookmakers remain a significant concern for the long-term sustainability and integrity of the National Lottery. He made the comment on 22 October, as PLI's 2025 accounts showed a return to profit.

Murphy said these products divert revenue that would otherwise support Good Causes and local retailers. Gambling rules in Ireland are changing, and the Gambling Regulation Bill is the backdrop to how products like lottery betting are likely to be treated over time.

PLI Calls for Urgent Action

According to RTÉ, Murphy said PLI has raised the negative and corrosive impact of lottery betting on Good Causes and local retailers with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. He added that PLI has emphasised the need for urgent action to address the adverse impact.

The concern sits alongside a strong year for the operator itself. Murphy said 2025 was a strong year for the National Lottery, marked by the €250m EuroMillions win in Cork in June, the largest lottery prize ever won in Ireland, and almost €239m generated for Good Causes.

Protecting that contribution into the future remains a key priority.

A Return to Profit in 2025

The accounts filed by PLI show a pre-tax profit of €6.9m in 2025, after a pre-tax loss of €5.9m in 2024, a swing of €12.8m. Ticket sales rose 2%, or €15.9m, from €855.7m to €871.6m. Draw-based games brought in €546.1m, and scratch cards and instant-win games €325.5m.

Prizes paid out came to €504.4m, up 3.4% from €487.7m in 2024. A total of 29 players won €1m or more during the year. Other big wins included a €17m EuroMillions jackpot in December and a €17m Lotto jackpot won by an online player in Mayo in August.

Digital remains the growth channel. Online sales increased by €13.1m, or 8.4%, to €168.2m, and made up 19.3% of total National Lottery sales in 2025, compared with 18.1% in 2024. The retail network stood at 5,123 outlets, down 43 on the year before, a small decline that PLI did not comment on in the reported figures.

Good Causes, Dividends and Ownership

PLI paid €238.7m to Good Causes, down marginally from €239.3m in 2024. Murphy pointed out that nearly 30 cent of every €1 spent on National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes in sport, youth, health, welfare, education, arts, heritage and the Irish language. Over €7 billion has been raised since the lottery was established 39 years ago.

The company paid a €10m dividend to its parent and made a €35m equity reduction. Staff numbers held at 180, and directors' emoluments fell from €900,000 to €700,000. PLI is owned by French operator La Française des Jeux, which bought it in 2023 in a €350m deal, and it holds the lotto rights until 2034.

Murphy did not name specific bookmakers or products in the reported comments. Whether the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will act on PLI's request is not yet known, and Casinos.com will follow any response.