Fate of National Lottery in legal showdown this week as Camelot fights to hold on to licence

Camelot has been running the National Lottery since 1994. The Gambling Commission wants to issue Allwyn Entertainment with a 10-year licence to take over the lottery. Camelot is challenging the decision in the High Court. Allyn Entertainment is owned by a billionaire Karel Komarek. It was selected as the preferred bidder for the country's biggest public sector contract on February 25 this year. The fourth National lottery licence period begins in February 2024. A stay on the application is currently in place.

Camelot has been running the National Lottery for 28 years. It has a 28-year hold on the lottery. The New Lotteries Company is challenging the regulator's decision. They are seeking to recover costs. The National Audit Office report found that Camelot's profits rose by 122% over seven years and returns to good causes only grew by 2%. MPs criticised the move towards app-based games. and reduced the amounts given to the good cause. In 2018, the game shows have not featured since 2017. There are scratchcards and online instant win games that are popular.