Judge to consider allowing sports club run its lottery online

Judge Cormac Dunne has said there are questions to be answered before he can grant a lottery licence to allow a local sports club operate their club lottery online.

He expressed concerns over whether there would be a maximum spend limit and time restrictions for when people could play and adjourned the case for two weeks to allow the club time to address these issues.

Dunboyne AFC made an application at last Thursday's sitting of Trim District Court for a new licence to enable them to continue to sell their lottery tickets online as it can no longer be sold in the usual way through local pubs and clubs because of Covid restrictions.

Submitting the application, their solicitor explained: "They have been operating this lottery for a number of years the only difference is this year, like many other clubs, they will be going online because of everything that is happening at the moment."

Club Secretary David Brady told the court the lottery has been run by volunteers for the past 25 to 30 years.

He said the tickets are usually sold in pubs in the local area but obviously that is no longer possible.

Mr Brady explained an external organisation called Clubforce will facilitate the club to run the lottery online and there will be a link to this on the club website

His solicitor said those wishing to participate will download the Clubforce app to their device and register with a particular club on it.

"They run it for many clubs around the country," he explained.

Judge Dunne asked if there was a maximum spend and a time restriction for when people could play, as was common with international clubs.Mr Brady admitted he didn't know.

The judge said that while he fully supported what the club were trying to do the questions he was asking were in the public interest and needed to be addressed.

"I support this but not if someone can go on at 11pm and blow €60-70 of a household spend. A football club is there for the wellness of members, not for the impoverishment of their families and their food bills etc.

"Gambling is a human frailty which we all have to respect and clubs have been fortified by the income from it," he said.

"I don't want to see households starved because of people gambling the household money away." The judge went on to say he didn't want to penalise the club and asked if this was the first in the area.

Sergeant Tom Mahon said a number of other clubs have taken similar steps and are using the app.

"I think most clubs are operating online because they have their licence renewed,” he said.

The judge said he would adjourn the case to February 2nd to allow time for some of these questions to be answered.