A batch of 120,000 Winning Streak scratch cards have been stolen in Canada while en route from a specialised printing facility.
The theft was discovered when the consignment of millions of cards arrived at Dublin Port last Tuesday. Around 30,000 of the cards were recovered in Canada on Thursday.
It is believed the container was breached while en route between Montreal, Canada, and Michigan in the US, where Pollard Banknote produce the cards using sophisticated techniques.
The cards, valid only in Ireland, offer the chance to win cash prizes or an opportunity to appear on the RTE Winning Streak television show.
A spokeswoman for the National Lottery yesterday confirmed 600 books of tickets had been stolen but stressed they were worthless because the bar code on the books had not been activated. "If this has not happened, the tickets are as worthless as paper," she said.
She said the 3,500 lottery agents around the country ordered tickets and on receiving them activated the bar code on the book of cards which enabled them "go live" on the system.
"This was not a significant theft but we will be examining the circumstances because we wouldn't like it to happen to every consignment," added the spokeswoman.