State papers 1987: National Lottery feared rival run by charities threatened its success

The new National Lottery had major concerns in 1987 that its success could be threatened by a rival lottery being set up by two charities which it feared was exploiting legal loopholes restricting the size of jackpots.

Records show that senior officials in the Department of the Taoiseach were also worried that Rehab and the Central Remedial Clinic had found a way of circumventing the Gaming and Lotteries Act to overcome prize-fund limits for private lotteries by pooling their resources.

Frank Flannery, the chief executive of the Rehab Group and a Fine Gael national handler, met with senior officials in November 1987 to discuss plans by Rehab and the CRC to jointly run a new lottery.