1996/99
For up to date news visit the Connaught Telegraph website.
BOARDS PLAN TO RUN A COUNTY LOTTO
GAA
4 February 1998
'Lotto' effort to remove GAA debt
EFFORTS to tackle the £200,000 debt of the Mayo GAA Board are being stepped up.
Plans have been drafted by the organisation to run a county lottery with a weekly jackpot prize of £10,000. Moves are being made by the board to secure the backing of every GAA club in Mayo.
According to circular issued by the assistant treasurer of the board, Tommy Goonan, a minimum of 40 clubs needed to pay £300 towards the jackpot each week for the lottery to be successful.
He stated: "The big bonus of this lotto would be the selling power of the tickets because of the £10,000 pay out every week. In the event of the jackpot not being won, there would be ten £1,000 lucky dips.
"I am confident this would be a success because I know of a Lotto Draw, which guaranteed £10,000 worth of payouts only a few weeks ago here in Mayo, and they sold £14,000 worth of one pound tickets."
Mr. Goonan said GAA clubs running their own lotto were 'very vulnerable'.
"If a lotto as powerful as the one I am proposing was set up by any other organisation, it would bury every GAA club lotto in the county.
"It's all about marketing and advertising. If we all pull together, we can be a powerful unit. This would benefit the clubs and the county board.
"We can set an example here in Mayo and eventually end up with a National GAA Lotto."
Mr. Goonan, who was a key figure in clearing the debts of the London GAA Board some years ago, faces a big task in bringing all the GAA clubs in the county with him.
Many will feel they may lose out financially by discarding with their own promotions.
A lot of smaller clubs could also find it difficult to sell 300 tickets or more every week.
Said Mr. Goonan: "The idea may sound unpopular to clubs running their own lotto at the moment.
"But I have spoken to a number of clubs and they find the selling of their tickets to be very hard work and has to be pushed all the time."
There are fears, however, that the proposal, if it comes to fruition, could sound the death knell for other lotto in the county run by voluntary group, charitable organisations and other sports club.
Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - February 1998
