Ireland’s Regulator of the National Lottery has been accused by academic researchers of presenting an overly positive portrayal of the National Lottery in its annual reports, while downplaying or omitting the potential harms associated with gambling.

The criticism appears in a newly published academic study that examined a decade of official reporting by the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery.

The research, conducted by academics from several Irish third-level institutions, analysed all annual reports issued by the regulator between 2014 and 2024.

It was recently published on the HRB National Drugs Library website, entitled: Complicit in the charade: a critical content analysis of the annual reports of Ireland’s Regulator of the National Lottery 2014-2024.

According to the findings, participation in the National Lottery is consistently framed as play, entertainment, or a game, with minimal reference to gambling as a risk-based activity.

The researchers found no references across the entire dataset to terms such as addiction, addict, or danger.

The study concludes that the language used in the reports places heavy emphasis on prize-winning, good causes, and institutional governance, while references to gambling-related harm are largely absent.

Although the reports frequently reference safety and compliance, the authors argue that these discussions lack meaningful engagement with addiction or broader public health risks.

 

A ‘sanitised’ narrative

This framing, the study claims, creates a sanitised narrative that obscures the inherent risks of gambling participation.

One finding highlighted by the research is the shift in terminology over time. The lead author noted that references to good causes increased fivefold in the 2024 report compared with 2015.

In contrast, mentions of problematic play and player protection declined over the same period. The study argues this imbalance signals a prioritisation of economic outcomes over participant welfare.

The researchers also raised concerns about how underage participation is addressed.

They observed that test purchasing exercises to ensure retailers do not sell tickets to under-18s are commonly described as mystery shopping, a term the authors argue diminishes the seriousness of illegal sales to minors.

The study states that underage gambling receives limited attention relative to other regulatory priorities.

In its analysis, the paper notes that the regulator operates under a statutory obligation to balance the interests of participants with the commercial success of the National Lottery.

 

Study calls for better government oversight

The authors describe Ireland’s history of state-sanctioned gambling as complex and contend that effective protection begins with explicitly acknowledging that lottery participation constitutes gambling and can lead to harm.

The study recommends that both the government and the regulator adopt a clear public health framework for gambling oversight.

It argues that such an approach would better align regulatory practice with the scale of gambling-related risk in Ireland.

In response, the Regulator of the National Lottery stated that its annual reports are corporate governance documents produced alongside audited accounts and that their language reflects statutory requirements set out in legislation and licensing terms.

The regulator emphasised its role in ensuring compliance, safeguarding funds for good causes, and overseeing measures introduced annually to address underage play and problem gambling.

It also pointed to its relaunched website, which includes a dedicated player protection section.

The gambling industry in Ireland is estimated to generate more than €10bn annually, with National Lottery product sales accounting for approximately €1bn.

 

 

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