Sazka appoints London 2012 mastermind to lead National Lottery bid
Czech lottery giant taps Sir Keith Mills ahead of battle for new lottery licence
Czech gambling giant Sazka has appointed one of the key figures from London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games to lead the charge during the fourth National Lottery Licence Competition.
Entrepreneur Sir Keith Mills joins Sazka as bid chair with the firm looking to take over the licence from Canadian firm Camelot in 2023.
Camelot has held the UK National Lottery licence since its inception in 1994.
Sazka belongs to investment firm KKCG, which is owned by Czech billionaire Karel Komarek, who is said to be worth more than $3bn after earning his fortune in oil and gas.
Mills was an influential member of the team that brought the Olympics to London and most recently has served as the chair for the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Mills will be joined by fellow London 2012 alumnus Alastair Ruxton, who will serve as bid director, as well as a team of experts to help formulating a bid to be submitted in 2021.
Speaking on his arrival, Mills said the UK had changed “immeasurably” since the launch of the National Lottery in 1994, with a refresh needed to meet the challenges of modern day Britain.
He said: “I am driven by organisations that make a real contribution to society. I chose to team up with Sazka for the fourth National Lottery Licence Competition because I believe the UK National Lottery needs to grow and be engaging if it is to continue to fund the thousands of good causes every year.
“I feel passionately that it needs to be restored to the nation’s hearts, especially in these difficult times. I teamed up with Sazka because they have a proven record of taking established lotteries, growing them and evolving them to be relevant for the future.
“I am cognisant that much has to be done for us to make a winning case in this competition, but I believe that over the course of this process we will be able to demonstrate how Sazka’s expertise coupled with the experienced British team that we are building in the UK will offer the right stewardship for the UKNL for 2023 and beyond,” he concluded.