The competition for the fourth National Lottery licence has been delayed for a second time. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has announced an extension of the second phase of the competition for the Fourth National Lottery – a move that will cause the current contract of Camelot Group to be extended by 6 months.
This means that the fourth licence of the UK National Lottery will begin in February 2024.
The gambling regulatory body of the UK said that it had added a further 10 weeks to the process that would eventually extend the third operating licence for the National Lottery by six months in order to make sure there would be a smooth transition from the current to the next holder of the permit. As revealed by the UKGC, the amended timeline of the second phase of the competition process will see 4 weeks added to the application stage and then, a further 6 weeks to the evaluation stage.
The Gambling Commission expects to provide applicants with an opportunity to further reconsider and improve their proposals for the regulator to evaluate.
The UK gambling watchdog further revealed that it intends to announce the chosen applicant in February 2022 but, still, all dates remain indicative and may change in line with market feedback and the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Fourth National Lottery Operating Licence to Be Handed Over in February 2024
The companies that take part in the competition for the fourth UK National Lottery licence had been due to table their final bids to a special committee in September 2021, and the preferred candidate was supposed to be officially announced by the end of the month. However, as the UKGC revealed, a number of the licence bidders had asked to be given some extra time to prepare their final offers due to the fact that the licence is such a complex one.
Now, the final submissions are set to be accepted by October 15th and the selected candidate is expected to be announced in February 2022. As mentioned above, the operating licence for the UK National Lottery is set to be handed over in February 2024, rather than in August 2023, as initially planned.
The UK gambling regulatory body explained that the timeline extension was made as it is trying to ensure a fair and transparent bidding process, so the competition ends with the best outcome for both the National Lottery players and the good causes it provides funding for. The UKGC has been willing to choose an applicant that would be able to build on the legacy of the UK National Lottery and find new opportunities for growth and sustainability.
This is not the first time the bidding process was postponed. It got initially delayed in May last year due to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak. So far, the competition for the operating permit of the UK National Lottery has caused fierce rivalry for one of the most attractive gambling contracts in the country.
- Author
Daniel Williams
