UK National Audit Office opens review of fourth National Lottery licence and Gambling Commission oversight

The UK's National Audit Office (NAO) has started an inspection of the fourth National Lottery licence. The review will examine whether the Gambling Commission's oversight is sufficient to maximise returns to Good Causes.

The 10-year licence came into force in 2024 under Allwyn UK, which took over from Camelot, the operator since the lottery launched in 1994. In its bid, Allwyn UK committed to doubling Good Causes funding from £30m to £60m per week, or roughly £3.2bn a year, over the life of the licence.

That level has not yet been reached. Contributions in 2025, the first year under Allwyn, totalled around £1.7bn. Historically, annual Good Causes contributions have not passed £2bn, with Camelot coming closest at £1.9bn at one point. For 2026, the Gambling Commission reported that £377.2m was raised between April and June, a sharp decline on the same period in earlier years.

Discussing the issue on the iGaming Daily podcast, SBC News Editor Ted Orme-Claye described Allwyn as a very ambitious company and said the target reflects its group-wide aim of becoming a lottery entertainment company. He noted that the UK contract was a major milestone for the group, which already operates in markets such as the Czech Republic and Greece and has a growing presence in North America.

SBC News Senior Journalist Viktor Kayed said underperformance against expectations could have several causes, including the UK economic environment, jackpot cycles, or how games are marketed and delivered. He added that the April to June figure, the lowest quarterly total in a decade, will not help Allwyn if scrutiny increases.

The NAO's assessment is scheduled to conclude in spring 2027. It will cover the work of the Gambling Commission and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the licence, including the design of the award process, the operator transition, and plans to support delivery of the licence through 2034.