National Lottery facing clampdown on affluence adverts and branding for scratchcards – Independent.ie
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Minister James Browne
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Ian Mallon
December 18 2021 02:30 AM
The National Lottery’s TV adverts depicting scenes of affluence and prosperity are to be banned under strict new advertising laws for the gambling industry.
The lottery company is also facing the prospect of shopfront and in-store branding for scratchcards and lotto tickets being outlawed under the new regulations.
Junior minister James Browne, who is steering sweeping changes across the betting industry, told the Irish Independent lottery commercials will come under the same “scrutiny” .
The Gambling Regulation Bill will be published by the Department of Justice next year and signed into law by 2023, resulting in an end to certain types of marketing and branding by betting products and companies, which Mr Browne said includes the National Lottery.
Lotteries and bingo are included in the bill as forms of gambling.
Addiction service Dunlewey deals with a percentage of scratchcard addicts, who it treats with other problem gamblers.
Mr Browne said the Lotto is no different to companies such as Paddy Power or BoyleSports, which are already braced for unprecedented industry-wide changes.
“The National Lottery is gambling and scratchcard [and lottery] addiction is a real problem,” he said.
“Doing the lottery is gambling. Yes, the money, or some of the money, goes to worthy causes for positive social aspects and outcomes and projects.”
While the National Lottery is governed by the Department of Public Expenditure, how the company markets its products through advertising will come under the Department of Justice’s remit through new betting laws.
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“Because it is governed under its own bespoke legislation, I believe aspects around advertising and marketing will come under gambling regulation,” Mr Browne said.
“But there is no question it will come under more scrutiny. The lottery is something that is clearly gambling.”
The issue of shopfront and in-store advertising of scratchcards and lottery tickets is also set to suffer under the new legislation.
The National Lottery will face the same shopfront restrictions that will be imposed on bookies, where even how a facade is presented could be radically changed.
Mr Browne added: “What about lottery tickets with all of the shopfront and in-store branding around that?
“I think it is something that needs to be done by the CEO, who will have to figure out what is a proportionate level of restrictions, and how quickly do you bring it in – immediately, or is it a step-by-step process?”
A ban on lottery advertising would pose a significant revenue challenge for broadcasters and other media, given the significant budgets spent on marketing by the National Lottery.
It emerged this week that the company spent €90m in unclaimed winnings on promotion between 2015 and 2020.
At an Oireachtas finance committee hearing appearance by the chief executive of Premier Lotteries, Andrew Algeo, the company refused to disclose its overall promotional budget, citing commercial sensitivity.
The use of unclaimed prize money to promote the business was monitored by the National Lottery regulator, he said.
The Irish Independent contacted the National Lottery, but no comment was provided at the time of going to print.
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