The competition process involving the incumbent and 3 other contenders saw Allwyn emerge victorious. Allwyn, a lottery operator owned by Czech billionaire Karel Komarek, is set to take over from 2024. That is, unless Camelot’s legal challenge bears fruit.
Camelot has launched a judicial review of the Gambling Commission’s decision to award the licence to Allwyn. The Gambling Commission is the statutory body with responsibility for regulating gambling activities in GB, including the National Lottery. As a creature of statute, the Commission is subject to judicial review, a process involving legal scrutiny of the decisions of public and quasi-public bodies.
As is the case in all judicial reviews, the focus will be on the process adopted in making the decision, rather than on the merits of the decision itself. Historically, judicial review (or JR) was most commonly associated with aggrieved individuals challenging immigration or planning decisions.
The process has developed to a point where commercial parties now regularly use it as a tool to advance their commercial ends. The commercial litigation team at Mills Selig has advised clients in relation to challenges of primary and secondary legislation, planning policies and decisions of a wide range of regulatory bodies.
We will follow the progress of the Camelot challenge through the English High Court with interest.
Editorial prepared by Kirsten Magee, Partner, Litigation @ Mills Selig
Kirsten Magee, Partner, Litigation
Kirsten is a highly skilled and experienced commercial litigator with a background in advising both private and public sector clients on a wide range of complex, high-value disputes.
T: 028 9024 3878
E: Kirsten.Magee@MillsSelig.com
W: https://bit.ly/MillsSelig-KirstenMagee
