National Lottery Act, 1986

Provision in relation to certain property of Company.

17.—(1) Where the Company acquires an interest in any property, whether real or personal, and the consideration for the acquisition consists, directly or indirectly, wholly or partly of any of the proceeds of the National Lottery, unless the Minister declares in writing that this section shall not apply to that property, then, to the extent that the consideration consists of the proceeds aforesaid—

(a) the Company shall hold the interest in trust for the State, and

(b) if the Minister so requests or if the licence under which the Company held the National Lottery expires or is revoked, the Company or, in the case of such expiration or revocation, the company that was the Company shall, within two months of the request, expiration or revocation, as the case may be, transfer the interest to the Minister or to such other State authority (within the meaning of the State Property Act, 1954) as the Minister may specify.

(2) If the Company or, as the case may be, the company that was the Company fails or refuses to comply with subsection (1) of this section, an amount equal to the value of the interest concerned shall become and be a debt due to the Minister from the Company or the company, as the case may be, and may be recovered by the Minister from the Company or the company, as the case may be, as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.