By Tim Parsons-
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) will be in court this week over its handling of the National Lottery licence competition. The legal action was filed by Northern & Shell PLC against the gaming regulator, with a view to seeking a reported £20m in damages.
The Case Management Conference for the lawsuit takes place on Wednesday morning at the Rolls Building, Fetter Lane, London. Representing Northern & Shell is QC Michael Bowsher from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP), while QC Sarah Hannaford from Hogan Lovells will represent the Gambling Commission. Allwyn, the current licence holder for the National Lottery, will be represented by Quinn Emanuel.
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The Gambling Commission has already defended one legal challenge from Camelot and IGT over the licensing tender back in 2022.
Both parties challenged the decision but subsequently withdrew their appeals before going to court.
Later in the year, IGT filed a fresh claim against the regulator and Allwyn which was dismissed by the court. It concluded that the firm did not have the necessary standing to mount a procurement challenge.
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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) was thought to have discontinued its legal challenge against the tender process of the Fourth National Lottery competition.
The High Court ruled that IGT did not have legal standing to pursue a claim for damages against the Gambling Commission concerning the award of the Fourth National Lottery licence.
In July 2022, the NYSE-listed gambling technology group was granted permission by the Court of Appeal to challenge the Gambling Commission’s awarding of the Fourth National Lottery tender to Allwyn UK.
The technology partner Camelot UK, the former operating firm of the National Lottery, along with IGT, had requested an ‘automatic suspension’ of the Commission’s award of the multi-billion-pound contract, set to become effective from February 2024.
A statement confirming the timing and nature of the case read: “Northern & Shell PLC, owned by media mogul Richard Desmond, has initiated legal proceedings against the Gambling Commission. This action targets the Commission’s handling of the National Lottery licence competition.”
Northern & Shell, along with its subsidiary the New Lottery Company, presenting its case before the Technology and Construction Court (TCC), said the lawsuit follows the “contentious 2022 procurement process where Allwyn Entertainment won the new National Lottery licence, replacing Camelot Group”.
The Gambling Commission has already successfully defended one legal challenge from Camelot and IGT over the licensing tender back in 2022. Both parties challenged the decision but later withdrew their appeals before going to court.
Later in the year, IGT filed a fresh claim against the regulator and Allwyn which was dismissed by the court.
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