Flutter heats up the UK lottery battle

An 11th-hour bid to run the UK’s National Lottery has been made by giant gambling group Flutter Entertainment.

The company, the biggest bookmaker in the country, is trying to keep control of the lottery in British hands. According to the national press yesterday, Flutter CEO Peter Jackson has written to the Gambling Commission to confirm his support, having completed the purchase of one of the contenders in the current race to win the contract.

Flutter is acquiring Sisal, the Italian group that is one of four bidders to run the lottery. Flutter has several well-known brand names, including Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Betfair and FanDuel.

The battle to control the lottery is now hotting up, with a 10-year contract at stake to run from 2024. Current operator Camelot is in the running, plus the Czech Republic’s Sazka Group, plus another bid from a group of partners.