Allwyn formally secures National Lottery licence after appeals dropped

Allwyn has been formally awarded the next contract to run the National Lottery after rivals dropped their appeals.

The Gambling Commission confirmed on Tuesday that Allwyn Entertainment, which runs lotteries in Austria, the Czech Republic and Greece, will gain the latest National Lottery licence from February 2024.

In March, the regulator first announced that it would hand the licence to Allwyn, ditching Camelot after 30 years.

Camelot launched legal proceedings a month later challenging the decision, claiming the commission got the decision “badly wrong”.

The commission asked the High Court to overturn the automatic stay-put order on the handover due to the legal case, warning of the disruption it could cause to the lottery.

In late June, the court agreed to lift the suspension preventing it from beginning the licence transfer, but this was then appealed against by Camelot.

However, earlier this month, Camelot and rival IGT confirmed they dropped their action through the Court of Appeal.

The Gambling Commission said it can therefore now “commence the transaction”.

“We are pleased to have officially awarded the fourth licence to Allwyn following a highly successful competition and the court’s decision to lift the suspension on the award process,” commented Andrew Rhodes, chief executive officer of the Gambling Commission.

“We now look forward to working with all parties to ensure a smooth and efficient handover.”

Allwyn has said it hopes to more-than-double the amount of money allocated for good causes after confirmation it has officially been awarded the next National Lottery licence.

Justin King, chairman of Allwyn, said: “Today’s award formally marks a fresh start for the National Lottery.

“We have exciting plans for this important and cherished institution, crucially raising even more proceeds for good causes across the country, improving the player experience through the latest technology and ensuring safe participation.

“Everyone at Allwyn is ready to meet the challenge of working under a shortened timeframe for transition.

“We look forward to working closely with Camelot’s team over the coming months to ensure the lottery is in its best ever shape when we take the reins in February 2024.”