Frank Houghton1, Daisy Houghton2, Mia Daly3, Anne Campbell4
Abstract
Background: The potential harms of gambling are routinely under-reported. Revenue from the National lottery in Ireland peaked in recent years at over €1 billion. The National Lottery in Ireland is regulated by the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL). Other forms of gambling are subject to the Gambling Regulation Act, 2024. Participation in the National Lottery is often not considered gambling.
Methods: Reports of the Regulator of the National Lottery between 2014 and 2024 were examined using critical content analysis (CCA) to explore the framing of the National Lottery.
Results: Participating in the National Lottery is routinely framed in terms of play, and as a game. The Annual Reports also focus intensely on Good Causes and prizes. A focus on governance, safety, and player protection in the reports is also evident. In contrast, the terms Gambling/Gambler/Gamble are seldom mentioned, while terms such as addict/addiction or danger never appear across the entire dataset.
Conclusion: The Annual Reports of the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL) frame the National Lottery in a very positive light and portray participation as a game in which prizes can be won. This serves to minimise negative aspects of gambling. To protect gamblers using the National Lottery, a public health approach to gambling needs to be adopted by both the Irish Government and the ORNL.
Keywords: Addiction; Framing; Gambling; Ireland; Lottery; Lotto; Regulation; Public Health