The National Lottery is a national treasure and we are honoured to have been chosen as its future custodian. With the Gambling Commission having put its trust in us, we can start to enact our plans to put the National Lottery back at the heart of our country.
Allwyn has been selected by the Gambling Commission as the preferred applicant to be the operator of the National Lottery for the Fourth Licence, starting on 1 February 2024.
The National Lottery is a national treasure and we are honoured to have been chosen as its future custodian. With the Gambling Commission having put its trust in us, we can start to enact our plans to put the National Lottery back at the heart of our country. We will do this by reimagining what the National Lottery means for each of us, whether as individuals or as part of the communities we live in; whether we play the lottery today or perhaps will play in the future.
This is no small undertaking. As many of you will know, the National Lottery has only ever had one operator throughout its 27-year history. Our selection, therefore, is the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
As we embark on our journey, working with the Gambling Commission and Camelot to transition to the Fourth Licence to be completed by 2024, we are keen to keep everyone informed on how, as the proud new stewards of the National Lottery, we will set about re-establishing the National Lottery for our changing world.
The Gambling Commission’s decision signals afresh start for the National Lottery; we plan to generate more money for Good Causes and the public purse, put draw-based games back at the heart of the lottery, and reverse the slide towards scratchcards and instant win games, giving due consideration to the wider societal impact these can have.
We have a proven experience in using technology to reinvigorate and improve lotteries, particularly draw based games. Technology is a means to enable the high street and bricks and mortar retail to thrive. It helps support a more immersive shopping experience and our research shows that there is considerable consumer demand, particularly among the younger generations, for better technology in local shops. With Allwyn, the Preferred Applicant, the National Lottery will support communities and enable retailers (big and small) to thrive. We have extensive retail networks in our European markets and look forward to working with even more in the UK.
We will work tirelessly to substantially grow the proceeds to Good Causes during our licence term. We will not control how the proceeds from a growing National Lottery are spent; that is the remit of the independent National Lottery distributors. What we pledge, however, is that we will work with those distributors in partnership, sharing more information and data than ever before, enabling them to forecast revenue streams better and therefore plan and manage their projects better. We will do everything we can to support them in their mission to distribute funds across the UK.
To the employees of Camelot, you will all be welcome to join us on this exciting new journey for the National Lottery. It’s important you know that UK law ensures that your rights as employees are fully protected in any transfer. We want you to feel, and be, supported during the transition, and of course beyond. It is imperative that the National Lottery thrives during the remaining two years of the current third licence, and that the lottery transitions to Allwyn’s stewardship in its best ever shape. You have our full backing at Allwyn to achieve that.
The National Lottery has a role to play across society. We know that levelling up is important. We will put planet, people and community at the heart of everything we do. By growing the National Lottery we will generate more returns to good causes and greater contributions to the Exchequer through Lottery Duty. We will make sure the National Lottery works for all.
We are excited at this fantastic opportunity to breathe new life into a treasured institution. We take this great responsibility incredibly seriously. We will work tirelessly to ensure that the UK has the best lottery in the world. We cannot wait to get started and look forward to serving the British public in the years to come.
