UK Gambling Regulator to Face Northern & Shell in Court

The transition of the UK National Lottery license from Camelot to Allwyn was completed in February this year. Ultimately, Allwyn was picked as the winner of the license after a selection process led by the gambling regulator in the country, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

However, not everyone agreed with the procurement process which is why the UKGC faced several lawsuits over the decision to award Allwyn the license for the lottery in the country. As a result, the gambling regulator is set to appear in court Wednesday in a legal case filed by Northern & Shell.

The company challenged the selection process that resulted in Allwyn winning the fourth lottery license in the country. Northern & Shell argued that the procurement process in 2022 was controversial and is claiming £20 million ($25.5 million) in damages, as announced by SBC News.

In light of the lawsuit, the UKGC is set to appear in court on June 5 at 10:30 AM. Representing the UKGC will be QC Sarah Hannaford from Hogan Lovells, while QC Michael Bowsher from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner will represent Northern & Shell.

A representative of Allwyn is also expected to be present in court today. Quinn Emanuel will appear on behalf of the current National Lottery license holder.

Another Legal Challenge against the UKGC

In a statement, Northern & Shell explained that it has filed a legal claim against the UK gambling regulator. The company outlined: “This action targets the Commission’s handling of the National Lottery license competition.”

“Northern & Shell PLC, owned by media mogul Richard Desmond, has initiated legal proceedings against the Gambling Commission,“

reads a statement released by the company

Before the transition to Allwyn, Camelot operated the UK National Lottery. The operator has retained its dominance after holding a license for the lottery since it was founded in 1994.

Upon the transition of the license, Allwyn secured the rights to operate the lottery for 10 years. This otherwise means that the company will operate the National Lottery through 2024. Ahead of the license expiration, a bidding process for the new license is expected.

As noted, Northern & Shell isn’t the only lottery license bidder that challenged UKGC’s decision. Previously, the gambling regulator faced legal challenges from IGT, as well as Camelot in 2022. However, the two claims were dropped before reaching court.