Online bets are a real winner for lottery operator

The Times
 
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Online gambling proved a winner for the National Lottery last year as profits for operator Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) rose to €14.6 million, up from €8.9 million in 2019. Despite the series of lockdowns, new accounts filed by PLI show sales of lottery products rose to €918.9 million last year, up from €884.5 million.

The growth was due to an increase in online activity, with €135.8 million in tickets bought via the internet, representing almost 15 per cent of all sales. A year previously online tickets amounted to €80.7 million, or 9.1 per cent of total sales.

PLI, a consortium made up of An Post and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, was able to pay shareholders a €10 million dividend last year due to