Mary Lou McDonald
Question:342. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide this Deputy with a copy of the new national lottery draft licence. [27572/13]
View answerTuesday, 11 June 2013
Questions (342, 343, 344)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:343. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the monetary amount that would be provided to good causes under the new national lottery draft licence contractual obligations based on the 2012 National Lottery sales figures. [27573/13]
View answerMary Lou McDonald
Question:344. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform based on the 2012 National Lottery's gross sales figure, if the monetary amount provided to good causes under the new draft lottery licence will be greater or less than the amount paid in 2012 under the current licence arrangements. [27574/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 342 to 344, inclusive, together.
Key information regarding the competitive process in relation to the next National Lottery licence has been made publicly available, most recently on the commencement of the competition on 30 May 2013. However, the detailed technical and legal documentation regarding the process will be made available only to bidding parties. As I have previously advised the Deputy, my officials are available to brief her and other opposition spokespersons on the competitive process. The National Lottery Act 2013, which was enacted recently, provides for the publication of details of the National Lottery licence. This is a new development in that the practice to date has been not to publish the licence. Details of the licence will be published once the competitive process has concluded and the new licensee is in place. Under the next licence, annual contributions for good causes will be set at 65% of Gross Gaming Revenues (sales less prizes). This will offer the holder of the next licensee greater flexibility and scope for the growth and development of lottery games and distribution channels. It is envisaged that sales of National Lottery tickets will increase under the next licence, which will in turn lead to increased funding for Good Causes. An Post National Lottery Company recently published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2012. This Report contains detailed information including the sales achieved by the Company and the funds allocated to prizes in 2012. Using this published information, it is possible to calculate the level of funding which would have accrued to Good Causes had the formula which will apply under the next licence applied in 2012. The new basis on which the Good Causes formula will be calculated will only apply under the next licence. Given that the parameters under which the next licence will operate are changing, application of the formula to the 2012 data is not particularly informative.