THE Lotto is to go online, three years after the idea was first flagged. National Lottery Play Online will allow the public to register on the website and take part in weekly draws without having to buy a ticket in shops.

Lottery organisers have ruled out the possibility that technical hitches could prevent a jackpot winner from claiming their prize.

"We would expect it to be a slow burner", said National Lottery spokeswoman Paula McEvoy. "Obviously it makes it more convenient but our play expectations would be moderate for the first few years until people feel comfortable with it. We have spent a lot of time on this and we got the best technical advice so we want to assure people that these sorts of issues will not arise," she said.

Those seeking to play online will register their name, address and credit card details on the website and post valid identification to ensure they are over 18 years. The registration process will take about 48 hours.

The new service is also being launched with a support email address and phone number to handle queries.

The move has been in development by the National Lottery for the past two to three years and organisers are now confident the service has been perfected and is ready to launch.

Around 200 people who had made inquiries about playing on the internet were invited to take part in a pilot programme last March. A registration link will appear on the website towards the end of the month.

There will be no extra charge for playing online.