Irish National Lottery Ads Face Scrutiny Over Youth Appeal

Irish National Lottery Ads Face Scrutiny Over Youth Appeal

A new academic study has raised questions about how the Irish National Lottery has presented itself on YouTube, suggesting that a notable share of its advertising content includes themes and imagery commonly associated with childhood. The findings add to an ongoing debate in Ireland over the boundaries of gambling promotion, particularly where state-operated products are concerned.

The research was carried out by academics from the Technical University of the Shannon, Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Limerick, and University College Cork. The team reviewed 127 Irish National Lottery advertisements published on YouTube and assessed their visual content and presentation style. According to the study, more than 20 per cent of the analysed adverts included elements the researchers believe may appeal to younger audiences.

Among the features identified were talking soft toys, animated or anthropomorphic machines, treehouses, tyre swings, waterslides, wooden toys, and playground-style games such as rock-paper-scissors. While these elements are not prohibited under current lottery advertising rules, the researchers argue that their repeated use creates a visual language closely aligned with childhood play rather than adult leisure.

The study also noted that children appeared directly in 6.3 per cent of the advertisements reviewed. The authors describe this as a significant concern, given that the National Lottery, despite its widespread social acceptance, remains a form of gambling. They argue that the presence of children in lottery advertising risks blurring the line between adult-only products and family-oriented entertainment.

Dr Frank Houghton, lead author of the study and principal investigator at the Tobacco, Alcohol & Gambling Research Group at the Technological University of the Shannon, said the findings point to a need for tighter scrutiny. He noted that lottery advertising occupies a unique space in Ireland, benefiting from high visibility and broad public acceptance, while often being treated differently from other gambling products.

According to Houghton, this exceptional status contributed to a more relaxed approach to advertising oversight in the past. He argued that the tone and presentation of some lottery advertising appears inconsistent with the responsibilities that normally accompany gambling promotion, particularly where children and young audiences may be exposed.

Professor Anne Campbell of Queen’s University Belfast, a co-author of the study, echoed these concerns and called for clearer limits on lottery advertising practices. She suggested that stronger controls on content, placement, and timing are necessary and stated that children should not feature in lottery advertising under any circumstances.

This research forms part of a wider body of work examining the Irish National Lottery’s operations and public messaging. Earlier studies by the same group have focused on seasonal advertising linked to events such as Halloween, weaknesses in online age-verification processes, and the way official regulatory reports address gambling-related harm. The authors argue that, taken together, these findings suggest gaps in how lottery risks are communicated and managed.

Beyond advertising content, the study also revisits concerns about regulatory structure. The Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery is responsible for both protecting players and supporting the lottery’s financial performance. The researchers suggest that this dual mandate may create tensions, particularly when commercial success and public health considerations intersect.

Houghton described this arrangement as problematic, arguing that effective consumer protection requires independence from revenue objectives. While the study stops short of alleging regulatory failure, it calls for reflection on whether the current framework allows for sufficient distance between oversight and commercial outcomes.

The publication of the research comes at a time of wider reform in Ireland’s gambling regulation. The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 introduced new restrictions on gambling advertising, including a broadcast watershed that limits television and radio advertising during daytime and early evening hours. The legislation also established the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland to oversee compliance and handle complaints.

However, the National Lottery is excluded from the scope of the Gambling Regulation Act and continues to operate under its own regulatory regime. The researchers argue that this exemption leaves an uneven regulatory landscape and limits the effectiveness of broader advertising reforms. In their view, online platforms such as YouTube present particular challenges, as content remains accessible regardless of time of day.

Extending advertising restrictions to cover the National Lottery would provide greater consistency and reduce the risk of unintended exposure among younger audiences. The authors frame this issue as a public health consideration rather than a purely regulatory one, noting the cumulative effect of repeated exposure to gambling-related messaging.

In response to the study, a spokesperson for the Irish National Lottery said that many of the advertisements cited were produced under previous licensing arrangements. According to the lottery, these campaigns predate the current licence period, the establishment of a dedicated regulator, and the introduction of a revised Advertising Code of Practice.

The spokesperson added that all current National Lottery advertising is now subject to a comprehensive review process designed to ensure compliance with updated standards. This process, they said, includes multiple layers of assessment before advertising is approved for publication.

Under the current system, complaints relating to gambling advertising restrictions are handled by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, while the Advertising Standards Authority handles complaints about advertising standards. The division of responsibilities has prompted ongoing discussion about how effectively different forms of gambling advertising are overseen, particularly where regulatory boundaries overlap.