The Gambling Commission today said it has won a favourable ruling from the High Court to lift the suspension on its decision to select Allwyn Entertainment as its preferred applicant to run the National Lottery for the Fourth Licence.
Current licence holder Camelot, which has held the lottery licence since its inception in 1994, has initiated legal proceedings in April in relation to the competition process, placing an automatic suspension on the commission’s ability to formally award the licence to Allwyn.
In May, the commission approached the court asking to lift the suspension, saying that the disrupting the implementation of Allwyn’s plans would present potentially severe consequences for the National Lottery and good causes.
“Today – 29 June – the court agreed to lift the suspension. We will, therefore, begin the important work of formally awarding the licence to Allwyn. Our priority is to continue to work to implement our decision and ensure a seamless and timely transition to the next licence, for the benefit of participants and good causes,” the commission said in a statement.
The commission added that they will now be preparing for trial of the various claims.
“We remain resolute that we have run a fair and robust competition, and that our evaluation has been carried out fairly and lawfully in accordance with our statutory duties. We have taken every step possible to ensure a level playing field for all interested parties, to enable us to appoint a licensee who will engage and protect players, run the National Lottery with integrity and ensure the National Lottery maximises support for good causes and its contribution to society through further innovation and investment,” the commission said.
Launching the legal challenge in its capacity as an applicant for the Fourth Licence, Camelot has held that the Gambling Commission has got the decision “badly wrong”, adding that the commission failed to provide a satisfactory response on the decision despite a lengthy correspondence.
The current licence of the National Lottery is set to expire in 2024.
