Report: MPs put pressure on Allwyn over National Lottery commitments
In a letter sent to the Gambling Commission, MPs ask for reassurances around the efforts Allwyn is making to meet good causes and social responsibility targets.
MPs are seeking assurances from the Gambling Commission (GC) regarding new National Lottery operator Allwyn’s good causes commitment, safer gambling practices and ownership structure.
As reported by The Guardian, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on gambling-related harms has written to the GC and requested an update on how the regulator plans to hold Allwyn to account, ensuring that the firm honours the promises made during the bidding war to win the contract.
During the bidding process, Allwyn committed to more than doubling the amount of good causes donations that Camelot, the National Lottery licence holder since its 1994 launch, raised from £17.9bn to £38bn over the course of its 10-year licence.
While Allwyn insists it will hit that target, CEO Robert Chvátal has since admitted that the company “may get a headwind initially” leading to a shortfall in its targeted increase at first.
The APPG has now asked the regulator to explain what Allwyn are doing to guarantee that “returns to good causes are prioritised and increased under the new contract”.
Led by Labour’s Carolyn Harris and former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the APPG also raised concerns surrounding Allwyn’s acquisition of a 70% stake in igaming content developer Instant Win Gaming (IWG).
IWG makes online gambling content with instant win games such as Vegas Dice, Jungle Tumble and Fast Buck Lucky.
The APPG has asked the regulator how it plans to ensure “that social responsibility is kept at the heart of the lottery as Allwyn diversifies into areas that are associated with higher level of gambling related harm”.
The final point raised by the collection of MPs relates to the ownership structure of Allwyn, with the group asking for “further information on the thorough checks that the Commission has undertaken and will continue to, regarding Allwyn’s ownership and that of its affiliates”.
Allwyn owner Karel Komárek had held historic links to Russian gas giant Gazprom, which he has been steadily removing since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Komárek has also publicly condemned Russian president Vladmir Putin for his actions.
Allwyn took over the National Lottery licence from Camelot on 1 February.
In a statement provided to EGR, Allwyn said: “Allwyn is committed to modernising and safely growing The National Lottery over the next ten years, with draw-based games like Lotto at the heart of our strategy. Today, The National Lottery generates £30m each week of funding for Good Cause projects; our aim is to double that to £60m each week by the end of the licence.”