Irish Film Institute -International Film Directory – Film Listing

Beat the Lotto

    • Director

      Ross Whitaker

    • Credits

      Producers:

      Aideen O’Sullivan,
      Ross Whitaker

      Cinematographer:
      Alex Sapienza

    • Principal Cast

      Stefan Klincewicz

  • Category

    Documentary

When downtrodden 1980s Ireland inaugurated a National Lottery the people began to dream. For Cork-based mathematician Stefan Klincewicz, it was an obsession. Spotting a flaw in the system, he recruited a ragtag team of chancers, and masterminded an audacious plan to fix the draw the win the millions. The heist became public knowledge, and in a race against time, the lottery did everything they could to try and stop the steal, dividing the nation on a very public caper.

The colourful raconteurs in Ross Whitaker’s documentary infuse this complex tale of system-beating derring-do with wry humour and impressive mathematical moxie.

Awards
Dublin Film Critics Award, Best Irish Film, Dublin International Film Festival 2025

86 minutes, Ireland, 2025, Colour


The IFI is supported
by The Arts Council

Arts Council of Ireland