The National Lottery is turning to Twitter in a bid to keep its players up to date, offering users the ability to have lottery results delivered over Twitter.

The organisation said it is the first lottery company in the world to launch such an automated Twitter service for players.

Twitter users can request draw results and lucky number inspiration through hashtags and emoji. Tweeting #results to @NationalLottery will get the results for Lotto and Euromillions, while sending a crystal ball emoji will deliver a random lucky number.

National Lottery chief executive Dermot Griffin said the initiative was one of a number the organisation had introduced to meet consumer demand for a multichannel offering. The National Lottery also has its own app and website.

Convenient

“We’re trying to make it as convenient as possible for players to access results and other content,” Mr Griffin said.

The National Lottery’s Eoin O Suilleabhain said the service was tested in a three- or four-week closed beta to ensure that it was delivering the correct results and also to weed out any potentially difficult situations, such as skipped draws.

The digital strategy is paying off for the National Lottery, with digital sales in 2015 generating a record €23 million, doubling the channel since 2013.

There are plans to develop it further in the future. In the future, we may be able to buy lotto tickets through Twitter, although Mr Griffin said it would have to adhere to its standards for responsible gaming to make sure no under-18s could access the service, or prevent excessive amounts being spent playing the game.