Capital Law is pleased to have supported the Gambling Commission on its path to victory, in what is an important judgment for preserving the future of the National Lottery and the many Good Causes it supports across the UK.
Following a lengthy trial in the High Court at the end of last year before Mrs Justice Joanna Smith, on 17 April 2026, the High Court rejected in full the claims brought by The New Lottery Company Limited (TNLC) and Northern & Shell PLC (N&S) against the Gambling Commission in relation to the award of the Fourth National Lottery Licence.
In summary, the claims alleged that the Gambling Commission had wrongly awarded the Fourth National Lottery Licence to Allwyn, and that instead, TNLC should have won the competition. The claims also alleged that the Gambling Commission and Allwyn had entered into impermissible modifications to the Licence arrangements following the competition.
The judgment makes clear that the Gambling Commission ran a fair and robust competition to award the Fourth National Lottery Licence, and that none of the contested changes to the Licence, in the course of its implementation, were substantial or contrary to the relevant procurement regulations.
Simona Corcoz
Principal Associate
Business Crime and Investigations, Commercial Disputes, Public Law Litigation, Reputation and Risk Management
Simona is a Principal Associate in our Commercial Disputes team. She has a strong litigation background advising governments, large corporate organisations and individuals on a variety of issues ... Read More
