Sazka mounts challenge against Camelot to take UK National Lottery licence
European firm Sazka has mounted a challenge to take the licence to run the UK’s National Lottery from current operator Camelot for the first time since the prize draw’s launch in 1994.
Sazka has entered the Gambling Commission’s competition to select an operator to run the National Lottery when Camelot’s licence expires in 2023.
The firm, which is Europe’s largest lottery operator with operations in Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Italy and the Czech Republic, said the landscape since the UK National Lottery was launched 26 years ago “has changed beyond measure”.
Sazka has begun hiring a UK team and building partnerships in the country in order to develop its strategy to secure the contract.
It said it is aiming to “deliver in due course a compelling case which is based on a clear understanding of the needs and desires of all stakeholders and customers”.
Sazka chief executive Robery Chvatal said: “As a leader in operating lotteries across Europe, Sazka has made no secret of the fact that we would be thrilled to operate the UK National Lottery.
“The UK National Lottery is a national treasure with a proud 26-year history. Now it is looking forward to the next decade and how it can best serve its customers in a world so disrupted by digital transformation, the fourth industrial revolution and Covid.
“The landscape from when the UK National Lottery was launched back in 1994 has changed beyond measure.”
Camelot were granted a six months extension in June as the gambling regulator paused the bidding process for the second time.
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group had also been tipped to be a contender for the license.
However, Virgin has since pulled out to focus on supporting its existing businesses through the coronavirus pandemic.
Richard Desmond, the media mogul, has also expressed an interest.