Allwyn Takes Over Camelot UK

By Jessica Whitehouse,
Editor at online-gambling.com

Jessica Whitehouse Editor at online-gambling.com

Jessica Whitehouse is a content expert and editor from Santa Monica, California. At online-gambling.com, she focuses on roulette, blackjack reviews, lottery, and casino payments. Whitehouse is also our leading go-to expert in online gambling in South Africa. In addition, she provides the photo materials for most articles on the site.

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Last updated: February 15, 2023

Allwyn, a UK National Lottery inbound operator, has acquired the assets of Camelot UK, the incumbent operator, after winning the lottery rights. The deal was signed with the Czech company after Camelot initially contested the UK Gambling Commission’s decision to award the National Lottery to Allwyn in October, but later withdrew. Following Allwyn’s suggestion to acquire the assets, UK regulators approved the takeover last month.

As part of the deal, Allwyn will assume control of Camelot UK’s National Lottery operations, marking the end of 30 years of OTPP control. The acquisition is said to be valued at around £100 million (US$120.86 million) according to Sky News. Allwyn has reassured that Camelot will continue to operate independently and provide strong and trustworthy support for the National Lottery. Additionally, the deal prevents OTPP from launching any future legal challenge to the tender. The financial details of the deal remain undisclosed.

Which Executives Left Camelot UK Immediately?

Several top executives, including Executive Chairman Nigel Railton, Chairman Sir Hugh Robertson, and Camelot Netherlands Chairman Matt Ridsdale, left Camelot UK after it was recently sold. Consequently, the company announced that Clare Swindell and Neil Brocklehurst, both members of Camelot’s executive committee, would become the new joint managing directors, while Sir Keith Mills would take on the role of chairman.

Brocklehurst has worked at Camelot for 15 years and has been the chief business officer for the past five years. Prior to entering Camelot, Swindell was the group finance director at Dunnhumby, which is a data science firm, and had a senior finance position at Tesco before becoming Camelot’s CFO in 2017.

Railton spent 24 years at Camelot, holding various positions, including CFO, strategy director, and ultimately CEO for the past five years before leaving the company. Robertson, who was previously the chairman of the British Olympic team, served as a non-executive chairman at Camelot UK for four and a half years before resigning.

Charities Appealed to the UK Government to Increase the Current Cap on Lottery

Several charities have appealed to the UK government to lift the current cap of £50 million (US$60.46 million) on lottery ticket sales, which only applies to charity lotteries. In contrast, different types of charity fundraising do not have this cap and can raise as much as is needed. The government is currently reviewing the request put forward by the group of 100 charities, which includes the British Red Cross, The Wildlife Trust, and the Royal Voluntary Service, among others.

The letter was addressed to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Michelle Donelan, who will soon be replaced by Parliamentarian Lucy Frazer due to a departmental reshuffle by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. As a result, the decision regarding the charity lottery cap will be delayed until Frazer has had a chance to settle into her new role.

The charities have emphasized that the cap is causing them to lose out on significant charitable donations, and they are hopeful that the government will act on their request in the future. For those not familiar, Allwyn operates in different countries all across the world – the UK, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic and Austria.