Camelot launches strategic review as National Lottery sales slump
Lottery operator identifies four business objectives as it warns of “increasing competition” from the gambling sector
Camelot UK has launched a strategic business review to help combat an 8.8% year-on-year fall in National Lottery ticket sales and “increasing competition” from the gambling sector.
The operator said it had identified four business areas to help overturn its decline, including commercial plans to boost sales performance and investment in technology and systems.
The review, which will be led by Camelot Global CEO Nigel Railton, was launched after National Lottery ticket sales slumped from £7.6bn last year to £6.9bn for the year ended 31 March 2017.
Camelot chairman, Jo Taylor, blamed the decline on a poor performance for draw-based games and Lotto, while he also warned of new challenges from the gambling industry.
“There’s clearly work to be done to re-engage players and address the performance of our draw-based games – and this is one key area that Nigel is focusing on as part of the wider review he is conducting,” Taylor said.
He added: “Given the current climate of economic uncertainty and increasing competition from the gambling sector, we expect 2017-18 to be equally, if not more, challenging for The National Lottery.
“I am, however, confident that the review will enable us to put the business on the best possible footing to get back into growth – and so deliver even more for our players and the millions of people for whom National Lottery funding is so crucial over the remainder of this licence period.”