Camelot wins jackpot with Illinois Lottery

UK National Lottery operator Camelot has won a $2.2bn (€1.9bn), 10-year contract to manage the state-wide Illinois Lottery.

Camelot Group will run the lottery through a subsidiary called Camelot Illinois, which will be headquartered in Chicago.

Camelot was the only company bidding to take over management of the Illinois Lottery from IGT and Scientific Games’ venture Northstar Lottery Group, which was the first private manager of a state lottery.

Lottery officials explained that the new contract was built on “a revised structure that aligns financial incentives and includes new permanent point-of-sale at retailers, new games, and a next-generation iLottery platform that supports omni-channel lottery participation.”

Acting Illinois Lottery director Greg Smith said: “Camelot has shown more than a decade of success in managing lotteries throughout the world.

“The lottery and Camelot Illinois have common goals to responsibly grow the lottery’s player base, align incentives, eliminate conflicts of interest, introduce new technology and innovation, and ensure responsiveness to public needs and concerns.”

Camelot chief executive Nigel Railton, during a public hearing in Chicago said: “We have an ambitious plan but the plan’s also proven.”

Related article: Illinois Lottery claims US first with new mobile app