Ireland’s Regulator of the National Lottery is under criticism after a new academic study said it does not properly recognise the risks linked to gambling. The research, carried out by academics from several Irish third-level institutions, reviewed all annual reports released by the regulator between 2014 and 2024.

The study, published on the HRB National Drugs Library website and titled, Complicit in the charade: a critical content analysis of the annual reports of Ireland’s Regulator of the National Lottery 2014-2024, found that the reports often describe lottery participation as harmless fun, rather than as a form of gambling that can carry risks.

How Gambling Is Presented in Official Reports

The researchers said lottery participation is often described as play, entertainment, or a game. They found very little mention of gambling as something that carries risk. Over the ten years reviewed, the reports did not use words like addiction, addict, or danger at all.

Instead, the reports mainly focus on winning prizes, money for good causes, and how the lottery is run. Although safety and compliance are mentioned, the study says these points do not properly deal with addiction or the wider health risks linked to gambling.

A ‘sanitised’ narrative and Shifting Priorities

The study says the reports create a sanitised narrative that hides the real risks of gambling. One important finding is that the language has changed over time. The lead author said mentions of good causes in the 2024 report were five times higher than in 2015.

At the same time, references to problem gambling and player protection went down. The researchers say this shows the reports focus more on money than on the safety of players. They also note that checks to stop selling tickets to under-18s are often called mystery shopping, which they argue makes the problem seem less serious. Overall, underage gambling gets very little attention compared to other issues.

Calls for Public Health Approach and Official Response

The paper says the regulator has a legal duty to balance the interests of players with the National Lottery’s commercial success. But the authors argue that real protection begins with clearly recognising that playing the lottery is gambling and can be harmful.

The study urges the government and the regulator to use a clear public health approach to gambling oversight. It says this would better match the risks in Ireland, where the gambling industry makes over €10bn a year, with lottery sales around €1bn.

In response, the Regulator of the National Lottery said its annual reports are written to meet legal and licensing rules. It said it focuses on compliance, protecting money for good causes, and preventing underage play and problem gambling. The regulator also pointed to its updated website, which now has a section dedicated to player protection.