Today, 1 February 2024, the fourth National Lottery license in Great Britain came into force and Allwyn has formally been licensed to operate the National Lottery by the Gambling Commission.
Over the next ten years, the Fourth License will lead to increased returns for good causes, keeping the National Lottery safe to play.
Allwyn has committed to investing in the National Lottery which is expected to deliver growth and innovation across all National Lottery products and channels, resulting in increased contributions to good causes subject to participant protection and fairness.
The National Lottery is one of the largest lotteries in the world and since its launch in 1994, it has raised more than £48 billion for more than 685.000 good causes across the UK, transforming lives and contributing to the arts, sport, heritage and to communities.
Key changes for the Fourth License include a new “incentive mechanism” which means that, unlike before, all National Lottery products will give back to good causes at the same level. It also means that the company that runs the National Lottery – Allwyn – will only see profits increase if returns to good causes increase.
Andrew Rhodes, chief executive officer of the Gambling Commission, said: “This is a historic moment, the first time the National Lottery has changed operator and the Commission is delighted to have reached this milestone. The Fourth License will mean more of every pound spent on the National Lottery will go to Good Causes, whilst still making sure it is safe to play. The National Lottery celebrates its 30th birthday this year and has had a huge impact on the UK in this time. Everyone at the Commission is committed to moving forward with Allwyn and the Government to make the Fourth License a great success for players and the good causes that rely on it across the country".
John Tanner, Executive Director of the Gambling Commission and Senior Responsible Owner for the fourth National Lottery License competition, said: “The Commission is grateful to colleagues at Allwyn, as the new operator of the National Lottery, and at Camelot, as the outgoing operator, for their work to bring us to this point successfully. Many people, especially at the Commission, have already worked hard to ensure that the next ten years of the National Lottery are even more successful and I would like to thank them for this".
