Protest at lottery bets ban

People should be allowed to bet on the outcome of the National Lottery, the cross-party Commons Select Committee on National Heritage was told yesterday by leaders of the pools industry, writes Colin Brown.

Pools chiefs are worried about the loss of revenue to the lottery and the committee is investigating the lottery's impact on other forms of betting. Roger Stott, a Labour MP, said rules banning betting on the lottery were a "farce" after hearing that British punters can bet on the Irish lottery, but not on the British game.

Betting on the numbers drawn in the lottery represents about 7 per cent of turnover in Irish betting shops. The pools industry said it had lost 30 per cent of its business since the start of the lottery, when it had a turnover of pounds 1bn a year.

Backed by the greyhound racing and horse racing industries, the pools promoters called on the lifting of Government restrictions on their competition with the National Lottery.