Allwyn takes over The National Lottery from Camelot, 1 February 2024

Camelot had run The National Lottery from its launch in 1994. In March 2022 the Gambling Commission chose Allwyn Entertainment as its preferred applicant for the fourth licence instead.

Camelot and its technology partner IGT went to court over the decision, which put the award on hold. Both later dropped their appeals, and on 20 September 2022 the Commission formally granted the licence to Allwyn. The licence runs for a fixed ten years.

In February 2023 Allwyn bought Camelot UK, the company that was still operating the lottery. That gave it a close view of the business before the handover. On 1 February 2024 Allwyn took charge of all National Lottery games and operations.

The Commission said the new licence ties the operator's profits more closely than before to the money raised for good causes. Allwyn committed to investing in the lottery's games and sales channels, with the aim of raising more for those causes.

Sources

• Gambling Commission: fourth National Lottery licence formally awarded to Allwyn (gamblingcommission.gov.uk)
• Allwyn: selected as preferred applicant (15 March 2022) (allwyn.co.uk)
• iGaming Business: Allwyn takes control of UK National Lottery (igamingbusiness.com)