Camelot UK Lotteries has unveiled 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, subject to all relevant regulatory conditions being met.
The company’s Chairman Sir Hugh Robertson will be stepping down, having been appointed as Camelot’s independent non-executive Chairman in 2018.
In addition, Nigel Railton will leave Camelot after 24 years with the company, having served as Chief Executive since 2017. Railton joined Camelot as Financial Controller before going on to become Group Chief Financial Officer and Strategy Director. He then built and led Camelot’s international business, Camelot Global, winning licences in Ireland and Illinois, before returning to the UK in 2017. Matt Ridsdale, Executive Director, will also leave the company.
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.”
Railton added: “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.”
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. In addition, Sir Keith Mills is expected to be appointed as the new Chair at closing of the transaction, subject to regulatory approvals.
