The UK
lottery operator Camelot has denied suggestions that it was attempting to get
rid of charity lotteries before taking over the license for the Irish Lottery
later this year.
The
suggestions were made by Fianna Fáil TD Seán Fleming, who met with Camelot
representatives last year.
Speaking on
Wednesday, Mr. Fleming told RTÉ’s News at One program that Camelot made it very
clear they considered charitable lotteries to be in competition with the National
Lottery and wished to get rid of them.
"This
is part of an agenda for Camelot to get a clear pitch so they will have no
competition out there in the scratch-card market," Fleming explained, but
Camelot strongly denies the validity of Fleming's statements.
When he was
asked about the matter on Thursday, Fleming appeared to go back on much of what
he previously said, stating Camelot had expressed 'concerns' about charitable
lotteries, but never said it wanted to get rid of them. Fleming further stated
he'd meant to say the Minister for Public Expenditure was "Trying to clear
the pitch of competitors before the Government embarked on privatization."
"Any
suggestion that Camelot wants to get rid of charitable lotteries is
inaccurate," a Camelot representative said. "On the contrary, Camelot
is fully supportive of charitable lotteries and happily co-exists with them in
the UK.
Camelot
already faces stiff competition from Richard Desmond's Health Lottery. Last
year the company tried and failed to get the Health Lottery's license revoked.
