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Lotto players in Ireland may at some point in the future have to alter their lotto betting strategy after advice from a leading Irish senator led to calls for bookmakers to suspend their markets on the Irish Lottery.
Fine Gael representative Barry Ward argued that the Irish Lottery contributes over 25% of every ticket bought to good causes. There are strict controls in place that encourage responsible gambling - such as no gambling allowed after 22:00, per National Lottery protocols.
He argued bookmakers that offer markets on the Irish Lottery bear no such responsibility to responsible gambling or showcase the same goodwill.
"While the National Lottery funds innovation, community organisations, and local projects throughout this country, private bookmakers make no such altruistic contribution," he said.
If betting on the Irish Lotto was to be curtailed, there are plenty of other great alternatives to explore
Take the 49s lotto, for example - a lunch and teatime lottery that draws six balls and an additional bonus ball from number 1 up to 49 is available at most online bookmakers.
Players can find an exceptional range of markets at the likes of Betfred, Boylesports, and William Hill - including special bets such as the number of the bonus ball, whether the first drawn-ball is odd or even, and the colour of the first ball out of the hat.
Elsewhere, you can try your luck on Betfred's The Nifty Fifty game. Exclusive to the bookmaker, it is drawn three times a day at 11:30, 14:30, and 18:30 and comprises 50 balls. The aim is to match between one and five balls - get all five and land a monster top prize worth 200,000x the betting stake at the time of writing!
Eligible new customers from Ireland can even get fantastic welcome offers when registering an account with select bookmakers.
Wherever you want to play your lotto, remember to do it responsibly and safely by setting spending limits. This is the most important message we would like to share.