Camelot UK Lotteries, the current operator of the National Lottery, has completed the Gambling Commission’s Selection Questionnaire – but refuses to commit to bidding for the tender.
A spokesperson for the operator told iGB that it was “only natural” the business was interested in bidding, having run the lottery since its inception in 1994.
They said Camelot had responded to the Selection Questionnaire, the first stage in the tender, but would not be able to confirm that it would compete for the fourth National Lottery Licence until it sees the final Invitation to Apply (ITA). This will be sent out to respondents that the Commission believes should progress to making a full application.
However, the spokesperson talked up Camelot’s management of the lottery, which it said had been built into “one of the world’s most successful and innovative”, delivering more than £140bn to winners and good causes.
“With three years of successive growth resulting in record sales in 2019-20, the National Lottery, under Camelot’s stewardship, is in its best-ever shape – and our immediate focus is on continuing to keep it strong and healthy for the benefit of everyone, and raising even more money for society at a time when funding has never been more vital,” the spokesperson said.
Camelot becomes the third business to confirm that it has completed the Selection Questionnaire, after Czech gaming giant Sazka Group and Indian lottery operator and technology provider Sugal & Damani.
However, the Gambling Commission was unwilling to comment on how many responses it had received to date.
The regulator did tell iGB that it was “encouraged” by the number of applications received, adding that it was looking forward to assessing the proposals.
The tender process will run throughout most of 2021, with the winning bidder expected to be announced in September that year.
