Irish Lotteries

The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (OTPP), which owns and operates the U.K. National Lottery through its ownership of Camelot, bought the right to operate Ireland’s national lottery for 20 years in October 2013. The OTPP paid EUR 405 million for the 20-year license, and took ownership of the lottery in February 2014.

Ireland sold its national lottery license in an effort to raise money to build a children’s hospital and pay down debt from the bailout agreement it reached with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund in 2010.

Prior to February 2014, the An Post National Lottery Company operated the National Lottery in Ireland under exclusive license from the Ministry of Finance. The company was established in March 1987 and was wholly owned by the Irish government. A variety of governmental and social welfare groups were beneficiaries of the national lottery.

In addition to the National Lottery, there is the charitable Rehab Lottery. Proceeds from the Rehab Lottery benefit charitable causes.

Irish residents may also play the Euro Millions, a European lottery that pools the stakes of participating countries.