Child-Oriented Marketing Practices Associated with Ireland’s Televised National Lottery Draws: A Secondary Analysis of Associated Programming and Screening Times

Background: There is sustained evidence of youth National Lottery participation in Ireland. Youth participation in gambling is associated with future problem gambling in adulthood.. Recent evidence suggests that National Lottery marketing materials in Ireland are overly child oriented. Objectives: This study explored child-oriented marketing practices associated with National Lottery draws in Ireland. Methods: Secondary analysis of data relating to National Lottery draw scheduling for 2023 and 2023 was examined to determine scheduling time and associated programming.Results: National Lottery draws in Ireland routinely take place at approximately 8.00pm on Saturdays and Wednesdays, long before the 9.00pm watershed in broadcasting. All of the associated programming with this time slot is 12/12A or younger (for a General audience G, or Parental Guidance PG).Conclusions: These findings highlight longstanding child-oriented marketing practices associated with the National Lottery in Ireland. It is recommended that live National Lottery draws are moved to after the 9pm (21:00 Hrs) television broadcasting watershed. It is also suggested that current legislative separations are removed and the National Lottery becomes regulated under the more stringent Gambling Regulation Act, 2024. Finally, it is argued that a public health approach to all forms of gambling, including national lotteries, is adopted by the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL) and the Irish Government.