Lawsuit against Gambling Commission’s National Lottery tender to be heard in 2025
11 June 2024 - 19:34Northern & Shell's legal battle against the Gambling Commission will not proceed until the following year.
UK.- Northern & Shell's lawsuit against the Gambling Commission, in which it seeks compensation for losing the National Lottery bid, will be heard next year. The company, which operates the Health Lottery and is owned by Richard Desmond, accuses the British regulator of mishandling the tender process.
During a case management conference last week, the Gambling Commission proposed splitting the case into two parts. However, it was decided that the case would proceed as a single entity in October 2025. Northern & Shell is reportedly seeking £20 million (approximately $25.5 million) in damages.
Camelot, the former operator of the National Lottery, also initiated legal proceedings over the tender but ceased after the company was acquired by the winning bidder, Allwyn. A separate lawsuit filed by IGT, Camelot’s former technology partner, was dismissed. Allwyn’s ten-year National Lottery license commenced in February this year.
In the meantime, Allwyn plans to sever its remaining ties with Russia’s Gazprom by the end of this month, following criticism from UK MPs about the delay. Allwyn International reported a revenue of €2.1 billion for Q1 2024, marking a 28 percent increase year-on-year.