Camelot granted six-month extension to National Lottery contract
Gambling Commission hands Watford-based business an operating extension until July 2023
Camelot has been granted a six-month extension to its licence to operate the National Lottery.
The Gambling Commission (UKGC) has written to Camelot announcing its intention to extend the lottery operator’s existing contract by half a year, stretching until the end of July 2023.
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Czech gaming giant Sazka are among the firms keen to take over the running of the competition.
Sazka Group belongs to investment firm KKCG, which is owned by Czech billionaire Karel Komarek, who is said to be worth more than $3bn after earning his fortune in oil and gas.
It has been almost a year since regulators ignited the hunt for a new company to power the National Lottery. The search was first delayed in February 2020, when a two-month extension was granted.
A Camelot spokesperson said: “We remain focused on continuing to build on the strong performance we have achieved over the last three years and delivering even more money for good causes, funding which is vitally important during this unprecedented time.”
Camelot has run the National Lottery since its creation in 1994.