LONDON, United Kingdom – 19 November 2022 - Allwyn AG (“Allwyn” or the “Company”), Europe’s leading lottery operator, and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (“Ontario Teachers’ ”) today announced Allwyn has agreed to acquire Camelot UK Lotteries Limited (“Camelot”).
Upon completion of the acquisition from Ontario Teachers’, Camelot UK Lotteries Limited, the current operator of the National Lottery under a licence that runs until 31 January 2024 (“the Third Licence”), will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Allwyn. The acquisition is anticipated to close in Q1 2023 subject to regulatory approvals, including from the Gambling Commission. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Earlier this year, the Gambling Commission awarded Allwyn Entertainment Ltd (“AEL”) the licence to operate the National Lottery from 1 February 2024 (“the Fourth Licence”). Camelot will continue to be operated separately, in accordance with the terms of the Third Licence. Allwyn's ownership of Camelot will help facilitate a smooth transition as AEL prepares to take over the operation of the National Lottery from February 2024. AEL is working collaboratively with both Camelot and the Gambling Commission on its transition plan for the Fourth Licence.
Robert Chvátal, CEO of Allwyn AG, commented, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to acquire the current operator of the Third Licence for the UK National Lottery. Allwyn and Camelot share a common goal: a passion to protect and improve the UK National Lottery, and the good causes it celebrates. Common ownership of the operators of both the Third and Fourth Licences will help ensure the successful delivery of the National Lottery both in 2023 and over the next decade.
“Allwyn is committed to making the National Lottery better, raising more for good causes and improving player protection. This deal strengthens the transition process and helps support Allwyn in achieving its vision for the National Lottery.”
Nick Jansa, Executive Managing Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Ontario Teachers’, said, “We are proud to have been a strong supporter and partner of the National Lottery over the past 12 years. In that time, under Camelot’s stewardship The National Lottery has raised more than £20 billion for good causes and has supported thousands of organisations across the United Kingdom. We believe this sale best positions the National Lottery for a smooth transition to the Fourth Licence operator and wish Allwyn every success. I want to express my sincere thanks to Camelot’s management and employees for their tremendous efforts in successfully running the National Lottery over the last decade, including achieving record revenues to good causes in the last year.”
Media inquiries
Dana Dvorakova, Allwyn
Paul Durman, Brunswick
[email protected] or: +44 7793 522824
Nick Cosgrove, Brunswick
[email protected] or: +44 7974 982306
Dan Madge Ontario Teachers'
Oliver Mann Kekst CNC
[email protected] or: +44 203 7551 607
About Allwyn
Allwyn is a leading global lottery operator. Allwyn builds better lotteries that return more to good causes by focusing on innovation, technology, efficiency and safety across a growing casual gaming entertainment portfolio. The lottery-first approach of focusing on affordable recreational play has earned Allwyn leading market positions with trusted brands across Europe in Austria, Czech Republic, Greece and Cyprus, and Italy. Following a successful tender process earlier this year, Allwyn is set to become the operator of the UK National Lottery from February 2024.
About Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers') is a global investor with net assets of $242.5 billion as at June 30, 2022. We invest in more than 50 countries in a broad array of assets including public and private equities, fixed income, credit, commodities, natural resources, infrastructure, real estate and venture growth to deliver retirement income for 333,000 working members and pensioners. With offices in Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, San Francisco, Singapore and Toronto, our more than 350 investment professionals bring deep expertise in industries ranging from agriculture to artificial intelligence. We are a fully funded defined benefit pension plan and have earned an annual total-fund net return of 9.6% since the plan’s founding in 1990. At Ontario Teachers’, we don’t just invest to make a return, we invest to shape a better future for the teachers we serve, the businesses we back, and the world we live in. For more information, visit otpp.com and follow us on Twitter @OtppInfo.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement may include forward-looking statements regarding certain of our plans and our current goals, intentions, beliefs and expectations concerning, among other things, our future results of operation, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies, pending acquisitions or other transactions (including regarding the completion of the announced acquisition of Camelot), financing plans and the industries in which we operate. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts. Generally, but not always, words such as “may,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “plan,” “seek,” “continue,” “target,” “goal,” “would” or their negative variations or similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity and the development of the industries in which we operate may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity and the development of the industries in which we operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this document, those past results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in future periods. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the annual report published by Allwyn International a.s. and other documents we publish on our website. Most of these factors are outside our control and are difficult to predict.
We do not undertake any obligation to review, update or confirm expectations or estimates or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that arise after the date of this document.
