Camelot drops legal bid to retain National Lottery

Allwyn Entertainment has officially been awarded the fourth licence to operate the National Lottery after a legal case brought by the current operator Camelot was dropped.

The new licence, awarded by the UK Gambling Commission, will allow Allwyn to operate the National Lottery for a decade, starting in February 2024.

The company said it expects to grow sales, doubling the amount of money currently provided to UK good causes as a result.

“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,” said Allwyn's Chairman Justin King.

Allwyn's CEO, David Craven, said the move “signals a time for change for the National Lottery”. 

“Our primary transition objective is to responsibly boost performance leading to increased contributions to good causes.”

According to The Guardian, Camelot, the outgoing operator which has run the lottery since it was launched in 1994, decided to not to proceed with a legal challenge relating to the award of the licence after it emerged that more than £1bn for good causes could be lost if the handover of the £6.4bn contract was delayed.