Sectors · Lottery
Lotteries in Ireland: who regulates what.
Lotteries are the one area where the GRAI isn't the whole story. The National Lottery has its own dedicated regulator, while smaller and charitable lotteries move under the GRAI. Here's the split, kept short — we'll expand this as the GRAI's lottery licensing commences.
The National Lottery
Ireland's National Lottery is run by Premier Lotteries Ireland under a 20-year licence from the State, offering games such as Lotto, EuroMillions and Daily Million, with proceeds funding good causes. It is overseen not by the GRAI but by the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL), an independent statutory office established under the National Lottery Act 2013. The ORNL monitors the operator's compliance with its licence, protects players, and ensures money raised for good causes is properly accounted for.
Other lotteries under the GRAI
Local, charitable and promotional lotteries fall under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, with the GRAI's lottery and charitable licence categories phasing in as part of the wider rollout. This replaces the older permit system that operated under the Gaming and Lotteries Acts.
| Type | Regulator | Status (July 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| National Lottery (Lotto, EuroMillions, etc.) | ORNL | Regulated |
| Charitable & local lotteries | GRAI | Phasing in |
| Promotional / prize draws | GRAI | Phasing in |
Primary sources
- Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (rnl.ie)
- National Lottery (lottery.ie) — the operator
- GRAI (grai.ie) — charitable and other lotteries
This is an initial version — we'll expand the lottery section with GRAI licence details, charitable-lottery limits and application guidance as those categories commence.