Sisal May Join Camelot in Contesting UKGC Lottery Operator Selection Process

A month has passed since Allwyn Entertainment has been awarded a license to operate the National Lottery, promising sweeping changes in the sector, and making sure that the lottery will be “resuscitated” and enjoy some significant advantages. Allwyn will reduce the minimum lottery ticket cost to £1 and add more games while ensuring better profitability and more money committed to good causes.

Sisal Mulling Its Options Media Reports

The bid is now contested by at least one entity with Camelot, the incumbent, revealing that it would seek to challenge the selection process and argue that the UKGC has not been entirely fair in pronouncing Allwyn Entertainment as the winner. Camelot has been the incumbent since the first lottery selection process in 1994 but this may now come to an end.

Now, the other bidder in the process, Sisal, may be looking to challenge the decision, joining a potential lawsuit by Camelot lodged with the High Court. Camelot contends that the UKGC has favored Allwyn Entertainment awarding it the new contract beginning in 2024. The regulator has denied wrongdoing and issued a rebuttal arguing that its process has been based on merit only.

However, Sisal and Camelot tend to disagree it seems, as a slight change in the tender rules may now give the pair legal grounds to challenge the outcome of the bid. Sisal has made no official move just yet, but it may try to do so. Flutter Entertainment, the company that acquired sisal for a total of £1.6 billion ($2.10 billion) in 2021, is eager to make its latest asset have a shot at one of the biggest lottery markets, hence why it might choose to challenge the move.

UKGC Denies Wrongdoing in Selection Process

The UKGC has said that it’s confident that its selection process was based on transparent criteria that guided the entire process and expressed regret that Camelot had chosen to settle matters in a court of law. The regulator further added that it had been able to apply all prerequisites to ensure a level playing field. Therefore, its decision was predicated based on the individual merit of individual companies.

The UKGC may be challenged with some success, though, as it has just transpired over the weekend that the watchdog has taken money from good cause charities to meet a budget deficit.