Ireland's National Lottery regulator has withheld more than €20,000 from operator Premier Lotteries Ireland DAC after a technical glitch potentially impacted nearly 400 prizes. The Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL) published its annual report detailing the breach, which occurred between September and October 2022.
The issue arose when a third-party software update made the 'Check My Numbers' facility available on the website during a period when draw results were still being verified. Some players received a 'Ticket Not a Winner' message despite their numbers being winning entries, which may have led to up to 394 prizes going unclaimed.
The total value of unclaimed prizes potentially affected was at most €2,299, with the largest prize being €250. The glitch was limited to the website; the National Lottery app's equivalent feature and in-store validation machines worked correctly.
Premier Lotteries Ireland self-identified the problem, reported it to the regulator, and permanently fixed the issue. It did not profit from the error and returned the €2,299 in unclaimed prizes to players through other Lotto games as directed by the regulator. The ORNL withheld €23,000 from payments due to the operator, which has been sent to the Exchequer for Good Causes.
The regulator also commissioned IT experts from Grant Thornton to review all prize-checking systems, finding no further concerns. The operator has since decided to phase out the 'Check My Numbers' facility due to low usage, with the mobile app ticket scanner proving more popular.
