Pan-European lottery and gaming giant Sazka Group is to bring together its UK operations under the new ‘Allwyn’ corporate identity as it bids for the country’s latest National Lottery licence.
The new Allwyn brand will group Sazka’s UK-facing operations under a single umbrella. In 2019, the operator generated more than €17.0bn (£14.7bn/$20.5bn), across a network of 63,000 points of sale and a number of digital platforms in the UK.
Allwyn will run alongside Sazka’s other businesses operating in the Czech Republic, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and Austria. The new brand was created in collaboration with London based agency North.
“I’m extremely proud of our success across Europe and I’m hopeful of continuing this journey in the UK by supporting the creation of Allwyn for the UK market,” Sazka chief executive Robert Chvátal said.
“Since 2013, our track record has spoken for itself: huge sales growth, more people playing, billions back to governments for good causes, and a robust approach to player protection. Allwyn can bring the same sort of innovative thinking and success to the UK.”
The launch of the brand comes at a time when Sazka is bidding for the fourth UK National Lottery licence, following the launch of the tender by the British Gambling Commission last August.
Sazka announced its intention to bid in October last year and faces competition from Italian lottery operator Sisal and India’s Sugal & Damani. Incumbent Camelot also completed the Gambling Commission’s Selection Questionnaire, but has not yet announced if it is bidding for the tender.
As part of this process, Allwyn has also appointed Amanda Horton-Mastin to its bid advisory board. Horton-Mastin is the current chief executive of local community organisation Semble and previously spent more than 20 years with British charitable group Comic Relief.
Horton-Mastin joins Justin King, Brent Hoberman and Charles Garland on the board, under the leadership of Allwyn bid chair Sir Keith Mills.
“I am really excited about the role that Allwyn can play in helping the National Lottery support the UK to rebuild after the long-term effects of the pandemic,” Horton-Mastin said.
“The National Lottery and its distributors have an excellent record of funding vital projects all across the UK both in communities and in the arts, sports and heritage sectors.”
Chair Mills added: “With innovative partners still to come on board, an experienced steward in Sazka Group – Europe’s leading lottery operator – and an impressive advisory board that includes Justin King and Brent Hoberman, Allwyn is building an exciting future proposition for the UK market.”
