Technology Issues Affecting Lottery Operator Allwyn
Charities relying on National Lottery funding could be affected by a range of issues with technological upgrades at the new operator Allwyn. But the firm insists it is on track.
Allwyn has experienced technology upgrade issues since taking over the lottery. © redgreystock, Freepik
Missed Deadlines and Legal Disputes
Allwyn’s plans to reboot the UK’s National Lottery have been affected by technological issues.
The operator took over the running of the National Lottery from Camelot in February this year, with the previous company having been in charge for the past 30 years.
Allwyn’s successful bid for the licence was dependent on the National Lottery being brought up to speed, but a series of deadlines have been missed.
Problems first arose when supplier International Games Technology (IGT), which provided the technology for Camelot, put in a challenge against the decision to award Allwyn the licence.
The Court of Appeal was later asked by IGT to dismiss the claim with the company able to agree to new terms over its with Allwyn.
Reports suggest there has been a six-month delay to Allwyn moving over to its new system, with donations to charities that rely on the National Lottery potentially affected as a result.
Laying The Groundwork
Despite the recent reports of problems, an Allwyn spokesperson insisted that work is ongoing to revamp the National Lottery in the UK.
“For example, we’ve started overhauling our 40,000-strong National Lottery retail estate, launched a number of new campaigns and products – including Paris 2024, Lotto and Set For Life campaigns – and introduced a number of new player protection measures, including our pioneering new scratchcard purchase limit,” Allwyn said in a statement.
“All of this, and so much more, is laying the groundwork as we look to reinvigorate the National Lottery, bringing back the magic and enabling us to generate more money than ever before for National Lottery-funded projects over the next decade.”
Allwyn aims to increase the amount of money that is sent to charities by the National Lottery in the UK by more than 100%.
From the current figure of £17 billion, Allwyn said it will be looking to hit £38 billion, but the company is unlikely to reach its goal due to technology issues.
Allwyn Rolls Out Forecourt Terminals
One change that Allwyn has successfully managed to push through is the rollout of hundreds of lottery terminals at Morrisons forecourts. It is the biggest terminal install project since Allwyn took over as the National Lottery operator.
Allwyn interim retail director James Dunbar said in a statement that the rollout “directly links back to our ambitions to continually adapt to the changing retail landscape and drive convenience for players”.
The National Lottery runs a number of draws for UK players, including Set For Life and Thunderball, and it also offers the chance to purchase EuroMillions tickets.
