National Lottery chiefs face grilling from MPs amid faltering performance
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GB News
Senior MPs are preparing to grill executives from National Lottery as concerns grow over its company's faltering performance.
The Culture, Media and Sport select committee is planning an inquiry into the performance of Allwyn, the Czech-owned National Lottery operator since taking over the lottery operation in February 2024.
The scrutiny comes as Allwyn - owned by Czech billionaire Karel Komarek - has fallen short in its delivery of ambitious charitable donation promises.
MPs' concerns have followed persistent delays to a crucial IT upgrade, which the company says is essential for implementing planned improvements to the lottery.
Top bosses will be summoned to Parliament to provide evidence
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At the heart of Allwyn's bid was a bold promise to double charitable contributions from £17.9billion under previous operator Camelot to £38billion over its ten-year licence.
However, a complex IT upgrade crucial to these plans has faced repeated delays, which was meant to have been completed by the time Allwyn took over.
Now, the system might not be ready until February 2026 - the latest possible delivery date under licence terms.
The delays could impact the introduction of new games that Allwyn claims would boost sales and help achieve its charitable targets.
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While no firm date has been set for Allwyn executives to appear before the committee, a Whitehall source indicated they could be called in the spring.
However, the timeline for the parliamentary inquiry might also be subject to delays due to ongoing legal action.
Richard Desmond, a rival bidder, has launched legal proceedings against the Gambling Commission over his unsuccessful bid.
As it stands, the dispute is scheduled for a High Court showdown in October later this year, unless both parties reach an out-of-court settlement.
Allwyn faces mounting pressure to meet its original sales projections, which were initially reported to generate around £10billion annually.
The Gambling Commission has since reduced its forecasts significantly, now expecting between £7.9billion and £7.8billion for the first year amid declining sales of prize draws and scratch cards - a drop from the £8.2billion revenue achieved in Camelot's final year of operations.
Plans to reduce ticket prices to £1 remain uncertain, with no firm commitment from Allwyn.
Industry insiders have questioned the financial viability of halving ticket prices, with one source noting: "All it means is you have to sell double the tickets just to stand still."
In response to concerns, an Allwyn spokesman said: "Our projections for 2025 remain on track and we remain resolutely focused and confident that our plans will deliver on our ambition to double returns to good causes from £30million a week to £60million a week by the end of the fourth licence."
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