The National Lottery Act 2013 and the Licence awarded thereunder require the following:

The Act requires that prizes must, on average across the portfolio of National Lottery games, be at least 50% annually.  

The Licence requires that the amount allocated to Good Causes is 65% of the difference between sales and prizes. 

Good Causes = (Sales – Prizes) x 65%

At the individual game level, taking Lotto as an example: For every €1 spent on Lotto tickets each week:

52 cent goes to fund prizes.

31.2 cent is retained for good causes = 65% of (€1 - 52c)

6 cent goes to the retailer in commission.

the remaining 10.8c goes to the Operator from which they pay the costs of operating the game.

The Regulator's officials perform checks each week on the Operator's allocation of sales revenue to prizes and good causes, game by game.

Actual Prizes Won and Amounts Earned for Good Causes as a % of Sales

Source: Premier Lotteries Ireland (DAC) audited accounts
Source: Premier Lotteries Ireland (DAC) audited accounts

View data in table format

Year Prizes Won Good Causes 

2015

56.8%

28%

2016

56.3%

28.4%

2017

56.5%

28.3%

2018

56.3%

28.4%

2019

56.2%

28.4%

2020

57.6%

27.6%

2021

55.6%

28.9%

2022

54.8%

29.4%

%s derived from the audited amounts reported in the Operator's accounts.