The Gambling Commission has denied a report that it is supporting Camelot's bid for the UK's National Lottery license. This statement follows an article in The Daily Telegraph, both on its website and in the print edition dated February 10, which suggested that Camelot, the current National Lottery license holder since 1994, was named a 'preferred bidder' for the fourth UK National Lottery license tender. The bidding process had begun in August 2020 and included competitors such as Allwyn, previously known as Sazka Group, Northern & Shell, and Sisal from Italy. If Sisal, soon to be acquired by Flutter Entertainment, is successful, it would be the first instance of a private operator running the lottery.
The Telegraph article claimed that Camelot achieved the highest score on the bidding criteria, which it alleged had been communicated to culture secretary Nadine Dorries. However, the Gambling Commission responded by stating that the evaluation process is still ongoing and that the details in the article are inaccurate. The Commission emphasized the necessity of conducting a fair and transparent competition, noting that the final decision is to be made by its board of commissioners, who will inform the government once a decision is reached.
Originally, the winner was expected to be announced in September 2021, but delays have pushed this announcement to likely occur later this month or in March. Additionally, the Gambling Commission extended Camelot’s existing license for six months in August 2021, valid until February 2024, meaning no new operator will take over until that time.
