During its 28-year tenure as operator of the National Lottery, Camelot has “outlasted five prime ministers”, and fought off challenges from the likes of Sir Richard Branson, to retain the lucrative government gig, said Rob Davies in The Guardian – but following a hotly contested bidding process, it has finally been toppled. The Gambling Commission has named Allwyn as its “preferred applicant” to run the ten-year franchise from 2024. The company is part of Czech billionaire Karel Komárek’s KKCG empire, which has prompted some anxiety, given the group’s links with the Kremlin-owned energy company Gazprom.
Komarek, 53, has pledged to dissolve the KKCG/Gazprom partnership. Even so, his prize may not be in the bag, said Oliver Gill in The Daily Telegraph. Camelot is contemplating challenging the surprise decision in the High Court, potentially lifting the lid on a bidding process shrouded in secrecy. Allwyn, which runs lotteries across Europe, apparently impressed with “a vow to launch a digital investment spree”, halve the price of tickets, and double the amount the Lottery generates for good causes. It also assembled a roster of supportive British business luminaries – including the Air Miles inventor Sir Keith Mills, who worked closely with the then London mayor, Boris Johnson, on the 2012 Olympics.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
DOJ seeks breakup of Google, ChromeSpeed Read The Justice Department aims to force Google to sell off Chrome and make other changes to rectify its illegal search monopoly
-
What can Elon Musk's cost-cutting task force actually cut?Talking Points A $2 trillion goal. And big obstacles in the way.
-
Her Lotus Year: Paul French's new biography sets lurid rumours straightThe Week Recommends Wallis Simpson's year in China is less scandalous, but 'more interesting' than previously thought
-
Volkswagen on the ropes: a crisis of its own makingTalking Point The EV revolution has 'left VW in the proverbial dust'
-
The World Bank and the IMF: still fit for purpose?In the Spotlight Washington meeting has renewed focus on whether 80-year-old Bretton Woods 'twin' institutions are able to tackle the challenges of the future
-
Post Office: still-troubled horizonsTalking Point Sub-postmasters continue to report issues with Horizon IT system behind 'one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British legal history'
-
The UK's national debt: a terrifying warningTalking Points OBR's 'grim' report on Britain's fiscal outlook warns of skyrocketing spending, but 'projection' is not a 'forecast'
-
Copper coins: are they doomed?Talking Point Treasury says no new 1ps and 2ps needed due to declining use – but would we really miss them?
-
Shein: could the year’s mega-IPO fall apart at the seams?Talking Point Latest hitch is a pre-float 'security review' that could deter potential investors
-
Labor market strong as inflation sinksFeature And more of the week's best financial insight
-
Midair blowout: another black mark for BoeingFeature This isn't the first production issue Boeing has encountered
