As it celebrates its 30th birthday today, the UK Lotto, arguably hitherto the most successful national lottery in the world, faces a tangled and uncertain future.
To date the lottery–officially launched on November 19, 1994, during the dog days administration of Tory prime minister John Major–has raised an impressive £50 billion (US$63.23bn/€59.77bn) for good causes and made more than 7,400 millionaires.
But now, following the controversial usurpation by new operator Allwyn, whose ultimate owner Czech Republic billionaire Karel Komárek was once linked to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the Lotto faces waning enthusiasm and the technological nightmare of a creaking computer system that is fast becoming no longer fit-for-purpose.
Like that other national treasure, The Royal Mail, that was brought to its knees by a faulty computer programme, that led to hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters being wrongly accused of corruption and many of them sent to jail, astonished observers may well ask: “What just happened here?”
Replacing Camelot–then owned by Canada’s Ontario Teachers’ Pension Fund–, which had run the Lotto since launch, Allwyn took formal control of the UK National Lottery on February 1 this year after a lengthy and fraught licensing process.
Hard-sell Spiel
Beating off strong competition from Camelot itself and former porn king Richard Desmond’s Northern & Shell media group, among other contenders, Allwyn won with a hard-sell spiel of rejuvenation and promise of maximising the charity yield.
But it was a far from smooth transfer of power.
Both Camelot and its tech partner International Games Technology (IGT) challenged the award of a new 10-year operating licence to Allwyn in court.
Allwyn resolved the double legal jeopardy by the simple solution of buying Camelot and signing a brand new tech upgrade agreement with IGT.
Yet the operating system software upgrade–likened to trying to meld Microsoft and Apple computer systems–is proving a serious challenge, with completion now not expected until well into next year; while the results remain uncertain.
Bedrock
A proposed tech upgrade formed the bedrock of Allwyn’s winning pledge to more than double the lottery’s contribution to charities over the new 10-year licence: from £17 billion (US$21.5bn/€20.32bn) to £38 billion (US$US48.06bn/€45.43bn).
Andria Vidler, CEO of Allwyn UK (pictured, left) has affirmed it will “boost funding for good causes” in the country.
On current trend, Nation Lottery players raise more than £30 million every week for charities, community projects, sport and the arts in the UK.
“Over 30-years, this hasn’t just been about numbers. It’s been about countless lives changed and communities transformed, while continuing to create millionaires nationwide,” said Vidler.
“As we look forward, our plans to transform The National Lottery are underway and we’re committed to raising even more for these vital good causes.”
Darren Henley, Chief Executive of the Arts Council England and Chair of the UK National Lottery Forum, said:
“The National Lottery’s impact on arts, film, heritage, sports, and communities across the UK is unparalleled. For three decades, it has empowered individuals and communities, enabling thousands of transformative projects.
“As we celebrate this remarkable achievement, we look forward to building on this legacy.”
Bali Hi
Few, not even the mugwumps among us, could argue with such a noble sentiment.
But the jury’s still out on Allwyn’s stated ambition to “reinvigorate the National Lottery, bring back the magic and generate more money than ever before.”
In the words of one million pound winner from 2014:
“It was a crazy year, and I have the best memories. I flew straight to Bali, then on to Thailand, Brazil for the World Cup, which was unbelievable, then on to Ibiza on a mega holiday with 13 mates.
“My life revolves around my family these days. We live in a beautiful, converted chapel and I run my own car business.
“I still have my giant cheque. It hangs in the shed above my ride-on mower to remind me how lucky I am.”
The Camelot Lotto mantra ‘It could be you!’ worked for some.
Time now for Allwyn to mow its own green lawn.
