The bid to win the National Lottery licence is hotting up. Allwyn are another contender and have announced Vodafone will be their connectivity partner.
Ever since the National Lottery was launched in the UK in 1994, it has been Camelot who have been running it. The licence has been won by them on three occasions but their current one only runs up until 2023.
August 2020 saw the tender process launched by the British Gambling Commission. Camelot have again put their name forward and also bidding is Sisal who run the SuperEnalotto lottery in Italy. Allwyn is the new name for the British arm of Czech gambling conglomerate, the SAZKA Group. They already run lotteries in Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece and Italy,
The decision to work with Vodafone is an important part of their tender. A statement from Allwyn said that player protection will be increased by them being on board. Their expertise in innovative technologies will be of great use. They will also help introduce new features they believe will see the National Lottery meeting the demands of customers.
Chair of the Allwyn bid is Sir Keith Mills. He believes that “they make lotteries better so that they can serve as a force for good.” One target they have is “bringing the fun back to lotteries that have lost their spark. They know how important it is to safeguard players and want to ensure sustainable growth. That will also allow them to raise more money for good causes.
Anne Sheehan is the Business Director of Vodafone UK. She believes that their 30+ years experience brings a great deal to the table. They “understand the technologies that enable the best, most cutting-edge experiences,” said the Business Director.
Playing the lottery isn’t just confined to popping down your local shop of course. Going online is just as important these days and Vodafone say they “can ensure in-app, online and retail journeys are simple and reliable for customers across the UK.”
Camelot of course believe they should retain the National Lottery licence. They believe that the past 27 years has seen the National Lottery become “one of the world’s most successful and innovative” in the world. Over £140 billion has been given out in winnings and to good causes. The National Lottery has seen continual growth in recent years.
A Camelot spokesperson said: “Under Camelot’s stewardship (the National Lottery) is in its best-ever shape.” Their focus now is to “keep it strong and healthy,” especially in terms or raising money for good causes.
India’s largest lottery operator Sugal & Damani Group has confirmed that it will participate in the contest for the fourth UK National Lottery licence, becoming just the second business to announce its involvement.
Sugal & Damani have also expressed interest in becoming the licence holders. Their technology arm is already busy in the lottery industry with 26 jurisdictions. This isn’t the first time they have tried to win the licence. In 2007 they were selected as the reserve bidder. They would look at producing innovative features to fend off competition from private operators.
The Gambling Commission will determine its preferred bidder in September 2021 comes to an end. Whoever does be granted the licence will run the National Lottery for ten years.
