Former Camelot CEO calls for licence extension as National Lottery High Court case looms

The former CEO of Camelot has warned the upcoming High Court case into the decision to award Allwyn the fourth National Lottery licence could have a devastating impact for good causes. Dame Dianne Thompson, who held the top job at the firm from 2000 until 2014, said the legal proceedings, which are due to start on Wednesday 11 May, has raised concerns over the knock-on effect to communities and projects that rely on National Lottery funding. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) chose to award the licence to Allwyn earlier this year, bringing an end to Camelot’s legacy as the sole licence holder for the National Lottery since its inception in 1994. Allwyn is due to take over the licence in 2024 but the process has been stalled as Camelot, along with fellow licence bidder Northern & Shell and Camelot’s tech supplier IGT, all lodge legal proceedings against the regulator. Launching its legal challenge, Camelot CEO Nigel Railton said the UKGC had got the decision “badly wrong”, and the awarding process required “independent scrutiny”. Dame Thompson said the legal proceedings could hamper the National Lottery’s contribution to good causes, and called on the UKGC to hand an interim licence to Camelot to ensure a smoother transition. “The Gambling Commission could award an interim licence to Camelot for a further six months,” said Dame Thompson. “The transition timeline would remain unaltered, the legal case could be properly heard and – critically – any risk of a massive bill for good causes would be removed at a stroke,” she added. The High Court case is due to start at the The Rolls Building in central London, with proceedings set to resume in October following an initial hearing. Dame Thompson noted she understood the UKGC’s “enthusiasm” to award the licence to its preferred candidate but argued the transition period and High Court case needed navigating successfully so as to protect funding schemes. She continued: “I fully understand the Commission’s enthusiasm for ensuring that their preferred applicant has as much time as possible to enact a successful transition. “Transition is a complex and risky process, as I know only too well, that will clearly not benefit from a truncated timeline. “I’m equally sure that no one – least of all the Gambling Commission – would wish to risk taking up to £1bn from good causes, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis,” she concluded.