Sazka Group snares lastminute.com founder as advisor to National Lottery bid

Czech gambling giant Sazka Group has appointed lastminute.com founder Brent Hoberman to its advisory board ahead of its bid for the UK National Lottery licence.

South African-born Hoberman becomes the second addition to the board, following the inaugural appointment of ex-Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King earlier this month.

Hoberman will advise bid chair Sir Keith Mills and his team on the group’s technology and digital innovation strategy as it looks to wrest the National Lottery licence from Canadian firm Camelot.

If Sazka is successful in its bid come 2023, it would mark the first change in licence holder since the National Lottery was introduced in 1994.

After founding lastminute.com in 1998, Hoberman sold the online travel retailer for £557m to Sabre in 2005.

Since then, the Oxford University alumnus went on to establish the Founders Factory and Founders Forum, which act as vectors for global executives to communicate, develop and scale worldwide start-ups.

Speaking on Hoberman’s arrival, Mills said: “Brent Hoberman has a remarkable record of building innovative technology for the betterment of a number of sectors.

“His expertise and entrepreneurial mindset will help us in our efforts to overhaul The National Lottery’s approach to digital innovation, ensuring that this institution is future-proofed so it can quickly integrate new technologies,” he added.

Hoberman commented: “Britain needs a National Lottery that is digital-first, technologically sound, and accessible and relevant to disparate audiences who are accustomed to consuming their media and entertainment across many different channels.

“I see so much untapped potential, and by teaming up with Sazka Group, a global leader in lottery technology, I’m confident we can build a world-class National Lottery that sets the standard for the way all other lotteries around the world operate in the 21st century,” he added