Lotto broadcasts are to cease production in RTÉ and move fully in-house at the headquarters for the National Lottery from 11 March, with Telly Bingo to follow in the coming months as part of a phased rollout.
It follows an announcement by RTÉ Director-General Kevin Bakhurst in December that RTÉ would outsource production of the Lotto programme.
Both draws will continue to be broadcast on RTÉ One, as has been the case since the very first Lotto draw in April 1988 and the launch of Telly Bingo in September 1999.
In a statement, the National Lottery said the Lotto draw will now be broadcast in a new timeslot, just before the 'RTÉ Nine O'Clock News’ on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The draws will now join Daily Million and EuroMillions Plus, which are already carried out at the same location.
The National Lottery said that existing draw controls and oversight mechanisms will remain firmly in place, including KPMG’s independent observer role.
CEO of the National Lottery Cian Murphy said it is "an important and natural next step for the National Lottery."
"It enables us to align all our draw productions under one roof at National Lottery Headquarters, ensuring even greater consistency and efficiency across our operations."
"We also want to sincerely thank RTÉ for their partnership and support since the very first Lotto draw in 1988. They have played a hugely significant role in bringing our games into homes across Ireland for nearly four decades," Mr Murphy added.
