Irish National Lottery regulator Liam Sloyan has been ordered to “step up to the plate” and show he is investigating the impact of increased online gaming in the country.
According to the Irish Times, Sloyan is under fire from the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform because of a supposed lax approach to problem gambling.
Tara Buckley, director general of RGData, which represents 4,000 independent retailers, said the organization believes the increase in online games on the National Lottery website may increase the potential for addiction.
“The regulator should outline the measures he has taken to protect vulnerable players and to replicate the types of controls on purchases in traditional shops,” Buckley said, and added that retailers are also concerned that some online Lotto sites are not associated with licensed national lotteries, which are obligated to contribute to good causes. She said consumers may be buying tickets thinking they are officially sanctioned.
In 2014, Premier Lotteries Ireland was awarded a 20-year license to operate the National Lottery after paying the state €405 million (US$427 million). Buckley said PLI has “ramped up its expansion of the National Lottery” with a goal of becoming a €1 billion business, making it critical that Sloyan actively regulate the sector.
Currently, there are 21 different instant online games on the National Lottery website. This is in addition to the traditional lottery and EuroMillions draws.
