UK National Lottery modernisation reaches key milestone

Allwyn says it has satisfied the Gambling Commission under the terms of its enabling agreement.

UK.- Allwyn says it has now invested more than £450m into modernising the UK National Lottery since it took over operations from Camelot in February 2024. The company described its overhaul under what is the fourth lottery licence as the “biggest transformation” of the lottery since its creation in 1994.

The Gambling Commission had opened an investigation last year into delays in Allwyn’s modernisation of the lottery following several missed deadlines. It’s yet to publish its findings, but Allwyn suggests that the investment milestone “satisfies the Gambling Commission that the requirements for Fully Implemented Commencement (‘FIC’) as detailed under the Enabling Agreement have been achieved.”

The National Lottery was taken offline several times during the process. In August, Allwyn temporarily suspended operations as part of its work to replace lottery terminals across more than 40,000 retail outlets. In January, the website and mobile apps were out of action for 24 hours during a digital overhaul to introduce a redesigned user experience and new player protection measures, including mandatory deposit and spending limits, hourly logouts, and safer gambling prompts for instant games.

Financially, Allwyn’s first full year at the helm of the National Lottery saw sales rise 3.5 per cent to £8.1bn in 2025. Digital channels accounted for £4.1bn of that, slightly surpassing retail sales for the first time. Some 12 million people played digitally.

Contributions to good causes in 2025 reached £1.7bn, averaging £33m per week. Allwyn has set a target of £60m per week by the end of its licence in 2034.

Andria Vidler, CEO of Allwyn UK, said: “Allwyn is committed to restoring the magic to The National Lottery and delivering long-term growth. Being the guardian of this unique UK institution is a privilege and a responsibility we take incredibly seriously.

“We are delighted to have delivered growth to The National Lottery while successfully completing the largest international upgrade in lottery history. This is a hugely exciting time for The National Lottery and its players, as these much-needed upgrades now allow us to launch new games and products, meaning we can generate more money than ever before for Good Causes.”

This month, Allwyn UK named Katie Harbron as its new Director of Games. She’s tasked with driving innovation in The National Lottery’s portfolio of games. It also established an in-house creative and content studio called Studio 59, named after the number of balls in the flagship lotto game.

Allwyn said it was creating the new studio in response to a “rapid shift in the marketing and media landscape, with demand for timely, relevant and culturally attuned content growing across digital platforms”.

By expanding its in‑house capability, it aims to accelerate content creation and simplify workflows.