Allwyn UK says changes to the National Lottery will raise the number of millionaires it creates annually from around 140 to approximately 345. From 7 June, Lotto will introduce two draw rounds for a £2 ticket, while a UK version of Powerball is planned for later this summer.
The changes set new Lotto odds and prizes and introduce a £4-per-line Powerball product for UK players.
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Bedfordshire and Luton senior coroner Emma Whitting has called for the National Lottery to be included in GAMSTOP after an inquest into Stephen Goff’s death. The UK Gambling Commission said it would consider changes and was discussing further consumer protections with Allwyn and GAMSTOP.
A coroner wants the National Lottery in the United Kingdom placed on the list of services that gambling opt-outs exclude people from. The UKGC, speaking through a spokesperson, indicated it may weigh further changes, possibly including a wider reach for Gamstop.
Allwyn has named Fredrik Ögren group chief technology officer. Ögren moves from Betsson after five years as CTO and will report to Allwyn Digital CEO Kresimir Spajic. Interim group CTO Brett Cross will take responsibility for global lottery technology and become Ögren’s deputy.
Allwyn AG has appointed Fredrik Ögren as group chief technology officer, the company announced on Tuesday. Ögren joins from Betsson Group, where he was CTO for five years, and will report to Kresimir Spajic, chief executive of Allwyn Digital.
Sarah Gardner, the Gambling Commission’s interim chief executive, praised Allwyn’s player-protection measures at a company conference in the UK. She said the National Lottery raised £1.7bn for good causes in the past year and described Allwyn’s new online safeguards as positive, while noting early implementation difficulties.
Allwyn chief executive Robert Chvátal and chief financial officer Kenneth Morton discussed sportsbook acquisitions and secondary listing plans in an interview published on 28 August. The interview followed Allwyn’s Q2 earnings and included management support for its new UK chief following pressure from MPs.
Iain Duncan Smith and Dawn Butler wrote to the UKGC questioning Allwyn UK's choice of Phil Walker as interim chief executive. Their concerns relate to his William Hill tenure, which included a £19.2m regulatory settlement and a subsequent personal warning. Allwyn UK said it had notified the UKGC and DCMS before announcing his appointment.