How do I make a complaint about the National Lottery?
Complaints in relation to the National Lottery can be made to the operator of the National Lottery, Premier Lotteries Ireland (DAC) (PLI). Details in relation to PLI’s complaint process can be found in the Participants’ Code of Practice which is available here.
A complaint may also be filed with the office of the Regulator of the National Lottery, should the participant believe there has been a breach the National Lottery Act or the Licence to Operate the National Lottery. The Regulator of the National Lottery will consider the complaint from a regulatory perspective and will consider whether there has been any breach of the National Lottery Act or the Licence to Operate the National Lottery. The Regulator of the National Lottery cannot influence or alter a decision that falls solely within PLI’s remit other than to ensure that PLI complies with the Act and the Licence.
A participant who wishes to complain to the Regulator of the National Lottery can do so in writing either by email to info@rnl.ie or the by post to
Regulator of the National Lottery
5 George’s Dock
International Financial Services Centre
Dublin 1
D01 X8N7
The correspondence should outline the full details of the complaint and state whether the participant consents to the release of their personal details and their complaint to PLI. A participant may make an oral complaint to the Regulator of the National Lottery by telephoning 01-8727932. In this case the Regulator of the National Lottery's office will write to the participant confirming details of the complaint and any consent to furnish personal details to PLI.
All complaints are treated by the Regulator of the National Lottery on a confidential basis and details of any complaint shall not be disclosed otherwise than in accordance with law. Upon receipt, the Regulator of the National Lottery will consider whether any regulatory issues arise with respect to the complaint. If the Regulator of the National Lottery considers that regulatory issues arise it will investigate the matter, asking PLI to make a submission. After consideration of the relevant issues the Regulator of the National Lottery may advise the complainant that:
- The Regulator of the National Lottery does not consider that the issue being complained of constitutes either a breach of the Act or the Licence.
- PLI proposes to address the subject matter of the complaint.
OR
- The Regulator of the National Lottery is taking further action.
Depending on the complexity of the matter this process may take some time. The Regulator of the National Lottery will respond to the complaint initially within three working days.
The right of a participant to file a complaint against PLI with the Regulatory of the National Lottery does not affect his or her right to seek redress in the courts. If you are unhappy with the manner in which the Regulator of the National Lottery dealt with your complaint, please refer to the Customer Charter page for further details.
If a person with a disability needs assistance in making a complaint, they can contact our Access Officer who will assist them in making their complaint. Caroline Hayes, is the Access Officer and can be contacted at carolinehayes@rnl.ie or at 01-8727932
The National Lottery operator’s complaints procedure is outlined here.