Allwyn appoints ex-Tote MD as CEO ahead of National Lottery bid
David Craven joins Sazka Group’s UK-facing arm as it gears up for lottery licence tug-of-war
Gambling industry veteran David Craven has been appointed as the CEO of Sazka Group’s UK-facing Allwyn brand ahead of its bid for the fourth National Lottery licence.
Craven spent six years as MD of The Tote, overseeing the company’s transition from state monopoly to private business.
He also spent time as CEO of World Gaming and is the co-founder of media company UPC/Chello.
Craven joins an all-star team at Allwyn led by bid chair Sir Keith Mills, who is backed by an advisory board including Twitter UK MD Dara Nasr, ex-Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King and lastminute.com founder Brent Hoberman.
Allwyn and fellow challenger Sisal are looking to wrest the National Lottery licence from Camelot, which has been the sole licence holder since the inception of the competition in 1994.
Speaking on his arrival, Craven said: “National lotteries are needed now more than ever. In Sazka Group’s other markets, they have driven footfall on the high street while making a real difference in local communities.
“That’s why the opportunity to become the CEO of Allwyn, and hopefully The National Lottery, was impossible to turn down.
“Throughout my career in the global gaming sector, I’ve always focused on how technology can be used to improve the customer experience, whether that be in-store or online.
“Not only does this mean making games fun and exciting, but I passionately believe that technology is the best way to safeguard customers,” he added.
Mills said: “Any business that wants to grow its customer base must be able to demonstrate a credible plan to invest in and deploy the latest technology.
“David’s phenomenal track record in software, broadband and gaming gives him an excellent understanding of this, which will only provide yet another huge boost to our application to run The National Lottery.”