Irish lottery boss Andrew Algeo proposes change to rules

Lottery chief executive Andrew Algeo has called for a rule change to introduce must-win draws.

Ireland.- The head of Ireland’s national lottery has proposed a change of rules following complaints raised over the lack of jackpot winners. The lottery’s jackpot hasn’t been won since June.

Last month, Bernard Durkan, a Teachta Dála in Ireland’s lower house, the Dáil Éireann, for the Fine Gael party, called for an audit and investigation over the matter.

Now the chief executive of Premier Lotteries Ireland, Andrew Algeo, has proposed the rules be changed in order to allow draws to be won by someone who matches five numbers after a certain period of time with no jackpot winner.

That would allow for must-win draws after a certain period of time, avoiding such prolonged jackpot rollovers.

Algeo appeared before the Oireachtas finance committee to request regulatory approval for his proposal. He said the change would mean “an improbably long wait for a capped jackpot win cannot occur again”.

After a certain time, a draw would have to be won, if not by someone who matched all six numbers, then by someone who matched five.

He said this “would also allow us to provide certainty to Lotto players, as to the latest date on which this record €19m jackpot will be won by”.

Algeo’s proposal could work in a similar way to the rollover process in the UK, where jackpots pass to the next tier of prizes if they are not won over five consecutive draws.

The Irish lottery caps jackpots at €19m, so despite the Irish lottery jackpot not being won since June, the top prize has remained the same since October, with additional funds being split over lower prizes.

He said: “It was somewhat unusual that we had Lotto jackpot winners on three consecutive Saturdays just before this long roll. Variation in jackpot roll lengths occur because each lottery draw is a pure game of chance without memory.”

Algeo said it was in the National Lottery’s interest that the jackpot be seen as “both aspirational and possible” and that as such jackpots needed to be “large enough and won frequently enough“.

National Lottery regulator Carol Boate said she would consider Algeo’s proposal. She told the committee: “I want to make sure it is correctly and appropriately described in the game rules and we also check for the impact on the risk of the game to players.”

Deputy National Lottery regulator Derek Donohue told the committee the Lotto was “operating in line with the game rules”, and said there were “no regulatory issues” in question. He added that independent observers from KPMG attend every Lotto draw.

He said: “The current extended period without a jackpot win is unusual in the history of the game, but it is not unusual in the history of lotteries. Statistically unlikely events are part of the nature of games of chance and lotteries.”

When Durkan called for an investigation into the matter, he suggested that the number of balls was to blame. The number of balls has been increased over the years.

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