Bookmakers are facing growing pressure as a ban on third-party betting on lottery games looms in Ireland. Currently, bookmakers offer various kinds of bets. However, the National Lottery is calling for these wagering options to be made illegal.
Let’s Talk Numbers
Recently, a man called into Raidió Teilifís Éireann’s show Liveline to tell host Joe Duffy about how he has won over €100,000 in that past few years placing bets on the lottery without ever buying a ticket.
The caller explained that he doesn’t even try and predict the outcome of all the balls. Instead, he places bets on three or four numbers at his local bookmakers by looking for patterns.
The caller said, “I look at all the numbers from the past year or two and identify which numbers come up the most on a regular basis, and I play those numbers.”
Another caller said that he got one number short of winning a 47-week rollover jackpot and won just €516 for his efforts, even though the jackpot is fast approaching €20,000,000.
So while this was an excellent advertisement for the lottery, the caller who’s been making money by betting on draw outcomes may have wished he hadn’t made it public, because lobbyists are trying to ban these wagering options at bookies.
New Bill Proposed
Irish bookmakers have been reaching out to members of the Oireachtas to oppose the bill which would see a great loss of income for their businesses. The bill is being pushed for obvious reasons, a great deal by the National Lottery, which formed in 1987 but has had to deal with competition from the bookmakers since launching.
They argue that they want to protect funding as it provides money for good causes around the country. This is a fair point, as they have raised over €5.5 billion since launching in the 80s and funded causes such as youth programs, an arts council, health projects, and other public services.
Bookmakers argue that the loss of income from these popular lottery bets, which are not available at regular lottery retailers, will put many jobs at risk. They also state that while ticket prices are fixed to play the Lotto, you can make more affordable bets at bookies. This greater affordability could be why the National Lottery wants to stub out this competition that’s growing in popularity.
It wouldn’t be the first time that a Lottery has tried to leverage control over other betting operations. It has happened on various occasions with the lotteries in th US. In many cases, sportsbooks are regulated by lotteries to prevent these side bets.
Good Causes Could Lose out
Despite being called the National Lottery, it’s actually owned by a Canadian investment company called the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. This organization allocates 65% of revenues to good causes in Canada each year, which equates to around 30% of ticket sales. Those who are petitioning for the bill are estimating that around €3,000,000 of funds that could be spent on good causes in Ireland are being lost every year.
The Irish Bookmakers Association has stated that betting shops offer a completely different product from the National Lottery. Customers can choose their own stake and amount of numbers they want to bet on. Sharon Byrne said, “Given these differences in product, customer research suggests it is unlikely that betting shop customers will simply move to play more National Lottery games if the product is removed”
Based in California, James William writes about golf, tennis, UFC and the (sometimes complicated) world of betting on sports. A big lover of live poker, James also takes care of casino reviews for Vegas-Odds.com.
