Justin King selected as Allwyn UK chair ahead of National Lottery licence award

Allwyn will appoint former Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King as chair should the firm’s bid for the fourth National Lottery licence be successful. King, who originally joined Allwyn as the first member of an all-star advisory board to support bid chair Sir Keith Mills, has been selected to lead Allwyn should the UK Gambling Commission grant the firm the licence. If Allwyn is announced as the preferred operator, King will take immediate responsibilities for “ensuring the seamless transition” from current licence holder Camelot to Allwyn. Allwyn is one of four firms bidding for the licence alongside Camelot, Flutter Entertainment-owned Sisal and Northern & Shell. King said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the team over the last two years, putting together a game changing application and transition plan. “It would be an honour to lead Allwyn as operator of the National Lottery, playing our part in guiding this treasured institution into a new era,” he added. Mills said King’s transition to chair would be a “natural evolution” given his role on the advisory board and his previous experience. Mills commented: “Justin has an impressive track record of delivering transformative change at large organisations, including his time at Sainsbury’s where he revitalised the supermarket giant. “Through his role on Allwyn’s advisory board, Justin has been pivotal over the course of our application; his appointment as chair, should we be selected, is a natural evolution, playing to his strengths and further enhancing our credentials,” he concluded. In December, Allwyn fully rebranded from its former identity of Sazka Group and last month confirmed its intentions to list on the New York Stock Exchange in a multi-billion-dollar SPAC deal.