Camelot Challenges Decision on National Lottery Licence

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Camelot has begun legal proceedings after losing the competition to run the National Lottery from 2024. 

The Gambling Commission announced in March that rival bidder Allwyn was the preferred applicant to hold the next licence.

The decision appeared to mark the end of a 30-year reign for Camelot, the company that has operated the National Lottery since it started in 1994.

However, following the announcement there was a legal standstill, allowing everyone to consider the outcome. It has now been confirmed that Camelot - named the ‘reserve applicant’ by the Gambling Commission - has issued a legal challenge.

“When we received the result, we were shocked by aspects of the decision," said Camelot chief executive Nigel Railton.

Railton added that the Gambling Commission had failed to ‘provide a satisfactory response’ when the move was challenged, leaving Camelot with no choice but to take the matter to court.

The Gambling Commission has responded with a statement of its own, insisting the competition it ran was ‘fair and robust’. The statement added: “The competition and our evaluation have been carried out fairly and lawfully in accordance with our statutory duties, and we are confident that a court would come to that conclusion.”

One of Railton’s concerns is the future of Camelot’s 1,000 employees, who have ‘worked tirelessly’ since the start of the National Lottery. Allwyn’s bid chairman Sir Keith Mills has assured those workers they will be protected in any transfer.

Allwyn described the award as a fresh start for the National Lottery last month. The main aim of the operator is always to generate as much money as possible for good causes. Allwyn intends to maximise proceeds by improving draw games, with reports suggesting the price of a Lotto ticket may be cut back to £1 and more multi-national lotteries could be offered.