The operator reportedly breached its licensing conditions as a technical glitch caused several winning tickets to show up as losing when checked, resulting in a fine and a warning
Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI), the company operating the Irish National Lottery, has responded to findings of a license breach between September and October 2022. The National Lottery Regulator of Ireland’s annual report shows the breach originated from a technical glitch with third-party software used by the “Check My Numbers” feature of the National Lottery website.
The Glitch Impacted Several Hundred Customers
During the affected period, several customers received false notifications that their tickets were not winners as the draw results were being processed. The glitch occurred only on the website’s number-checking tool and did not impact physical ticket machines in stores. This issue potentially led to 394 unclaimed prizes, with a total value of €2,299 ($2,500), including one prize of €250 ($272) and others ranging between €24 and €2.
Premier Lotteries Ireland promptly identified the issue and self-reported it to the National Lottery regulator. Responding to these findings, the operator said there had been no customer complaints over the incident, and unclaimed prize rates had not deviated beyond normal levels. Additionally, PLI confirmed it had not benefited financially from the error.
PLI has paid into the prize fund a sum equivalent to all potentially impacted expired unclaimed prizes. PLI has introduced a permanent solution and can confirm that the issue has not recurred.
PLI statement
Following the regulator’s investigation, the company suffered a €23,000 ($25,000) fine, which will go towards charity. The regulator stated that it thoroughly investigated the case, adding that the fine reflected the seriousness of the infraction. The authority also confirmed PLI’s claims that the operator had successfully fixed the issue and installed safeguards to prevent it from reoccurring.
PLI Steadily Modernizes Its Offerings
Despite fixing the reported issue, PLI has decided to phase out the “Check My Numbers” feature on its website, citing low usage. The operator has shifted its focus toward more popular ticket-checking methods, such as barcode scanning and QR codes. Such updates should bolster player engagement, help integrate physical and online services, and hopefully avoid similar issues.
PLI’s 2023 sales figures revealed a slight decline, dropping 6.2% year-on-year to €829.4 million ($902 million). The operator now experiences its second consecutive year of declining sales, following a peak of €1.05 billion ($1.14 billion) in 2021. PLI justified these results with the pandemic, noting that COVID significantly influenced consumer behaviors, bolstering the lottery’s bottom line.
Looking ahead, PLI expressed confidence in its technical improvements and ongoing commitment to regulatory compliance. The operator substantially enhanced the self-exclusion facility on its website, highlighting its commitment to responsible play. PLI also introduced its “EuroDreams” game in late 2023, hoping to draw additional customers with its exciting offerings.
