Camelot UK Lotteries Limited has announced a number of changes to its board and management team following the Gambling Commission’s granting of regulatory approval of its proposed acquisition by Allwyn Group.
Camelot’s chairman Sir Hugh Robertson will be stepping down, having been appointed as Camelot’s independent non-executive chairman in 2018 while Nigel Railton will leave Camelot after 24 years with the company, having served as chief executive officer (CEO) since 2017. Executive director Matt Ridsdale will also leave the company.
Allwyn Group has separately announced that it will appoint Clare Swindell and Neil Brocklehurst, currently chief financial officer and commercial director respectively at Camelot, as co-chief executives to lead Camelot, which will continue to operate The National Lottery separately from Allwyn UK through to the end of the third licence in January 2024.
Sir Keith Mills is expected to be appointed as the new chair at closing of the transaction, subject to regulatory approvals. At the same time, the company will continue to work to assist Allwyn UK on the transition to the fourth lottery licence. These changes will take effect upon the closing of the transaction.
Sir Hugh Robertson said: “It’s been an enormous privilege to have been Camelot’s Chairman. Since 2017, National Lottery sales have grown from £6.9 billion to £8.1 billion last year. In the first six months of this financial year, Camelot reported the highest-ever first-half returns to Good Causes in the history of The National Lottery. This performance is the result of the commitment of each and every one of my colleagues, to whom I would like to give my heartfelt thanks.
“I would particularly like to thank Nigel for his amazing contribution to Camelot during his 24 years with the organisation and, in particular, for leading the UK business to deliver record performances during his time as CEO. I would like to wish all my colleagues at Camelot all the best for the future.”
Nigel Railton said: “I am so proud of what we at Camelot have achieved since launching The National Lottery and, in particular, the successes since I took over as CEO. I believe we can say with confidence that we delivered on the commitments we made at the time of the strategic review in 2017, and that the plan that we built and executed together has delivered far in excess of what we had forecast.
“I have seen first-hand the incredible difference National Lottery funding makes to communities up and down the country, and know how critical it remains at such a challenging time for the UK. The UK National Lottery is in its best-ever shape as we work on the transition to Allwyn UK and I would like to thank my colleagues at Camelot for all they have done, and will continue to do, to ensure the UK continues to have a thriving and healthy National Lottery. I would like to wish everyone at Camelot and Allwyn all the best for the future.”
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