The UK National Lottery is undergoing a high-tech transformation, with operator Allwyn rolling-out two new supermarket initiatives designed to modernise and boost ticket sales.
Barely a year after taking over operations from Camelot in controversial circumstances, Allwyn UK has been busy making its mark.
In the latest move to modernise the UK’s most-loved and richest gambling product, Allwyn–owned by Czech oil and gas tycoon Karel Komárek, a man who’s repeatedly had to deny alleged ties to Russian leader Vladimir Putin–this week announced that lottery tickets can now be bought at self-checkout terminals in Aldi supermarkets across the UK.
The news comes after the recent announcement that Allwyn has partnered with Las Vegas-origin lottery specialists Scientific Games to provide updated scratchcard dispenser systems that could eventually replace old plexiglass cases with new digital terminals with advanced back-end capabilities.
But the operator’s plans to bring product sales into the 21st century could prove controversial as they further integrate gambling products onto supermarket shelves and, in the case of scratchcards, make the product more attractive, especially to younger eyes.
Aldi Checks Out
The first new lottery technology being integrated across all 1,050 Aldi stores in the UK is a system that allows shoppers to purchase their lottery tickets via the shop’s self-checkout counters.
Consumers wishing to add Lucky Dip tickets for Lotto, EuroMillions, Thunderball, and Set For Life games to their shopping carts will first need a staff member to approve the sale and conduct an age check, if necessary–much like when alcohol is purchased–before a ticket is printed.
iGF reached out to Allwyn with several questions regarding the safety of selling gambling products via self-service, and they told us:
“As with any other age-restricted purchase, an age verification check will be carried out by an Aldi colleague before shoppers can complete their transaction.
“National Lottery terminals are primarily located in stores that sell other age-restricted products (tobacco, alcohol, et cetera) and in addition to that, we carry out extensive training with our retail partners to prevent underage and excessive play on The National Lottery.
“This includes thousands of mystery shopping visits every year. For 2024, our mystery shopping program achieved its best-ever first-time pass rate for age-related checks at 93.2 percent.”
German-origin Aldi–currently the UK’s fourth largest, and cheapest, supermarket chain in the UK–shedding cashiers and integrating self-checkouts throughout its British branches.
According to Allwyn, this was a key factor in their decision to partner with the retailer.
Asda Brings Eye-Level Bling
Since the beginning of February, a second Allwyn innovation has also been on trial at Asda–the UK’s second-largest supermarket chain after Tesco–in the town of Ashton-under-Lyne in Lancashire, North West England.
The new digital system replaces outdated scratchcard dispensers with a sleek new 27-inch player-facing digital display and touchscreen terminal for staff.
Developed by Scientific Games, this is the first time their SCiQ retail ecosystem has been trialled in Europe after proving successful in the U.S.
If the trial is successful in the UK, these vibrant new dispensers will soon be commonplace in national supermarkets.
However, the choice of player-facing digital screens advertising scratchcards could be controversial, especially considering that just a year ago, shops–including supermarkets–had to start hiding cigarette counters behind screens in a bid to cut smoking rates and protect young people.
But double standards are nothing new to the National Lottery, which, due to its positive public perception and lower-risk nature, plays by different rules than other gambling products.
This is especially true regarding advertising: Lottery promotions are the only form of gambling ad allowed to be shown on UK TV before 9 p.m., and they may also mention wins.
UKGC Weighs In
In response to inquiries from iGamingFuture regarding Allwyn’s introduction of new POS technology, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) responded:
“The Fourth National Lottery Licence is structured to foster innovation, with the ultimate goal of maximising funds for charitable causes.
“While National Lottery games are generally considered low-risk, the licence terms still require the operator, Allwyn, to implement robust measures to prevent excessive play and safeguard against underage gambling.”
Despite some concerns, Allwyn is on a mission to modernise.
As the company told iGF: “We’re always looking for ways to expand The National Lottery’s offering and reflect the changing retail landscape and consumer shopping habits — including new technologies and new-look stores.
“So watch this space.”
