Allwyn, which secured the next UK National Lottery license and penned a deal to purchase the incumbent license holder, Camelot, is bracing for an eventful year. As it prepares to take the reins of Brits’ favorite lottery, Allwyn has reportedly launched a review of its media planning and buying account.
As reported by Campaign, the Czech operator has hired iProspect to help review its media capabilities. The latter company is owned by Dentsu and is a professional media agency that will serve as Allwyn’s partner for the review. The review itself will be handled by Ebiquity and Ingenuity.
In addition, Allwyn has considered employing VCCP and Leo Burnett’s services for its advertising account. According to Campaign, the operator did not seek the services of Adam & EveDDB, a communications company and a long-time partner of Allwyn that handled the operator’s latest Christmas advert.
Campaign added that it managed to contact Allwyn, which refused to comment on the matter. According to the operator, there is nothing for it to confirm currently.
How Allwyn Succeeded Camelot
Allwyn, formerly known as SAZKA was selected as the next National Lottery operator by the United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission in March 2022. This marked the beginning of a heated battle between Camelot and the Czech operator.
Camelot feared that if it loses its license, it risks going bankrupt. Because of that, Allwyn’s competitor was ready to take matters to court and fight until the last breath. Because of these actions, the UKGC was unable to hand the license to Allwyn until later in 2022.
Eventually, however, Camelot gave up and in September 2022, Allwyn finally received its license. Soon after that, the Czech company announced its intentions to acquire Camelot’s business in the United Kingdom. The deal was struck less than a month later, securing both Allwyn and Camelot’s future as companies serving the UK market.
Last month, the UKGC greenlit the M&A deal, allowing the two companies to become one. The financial aspect of this monumental arrangement was never made public although experts believe that the acquisition must have cost around $118 million.
While the Camelot merger became a reality, allowing Allwyn to consolidate its power in the United Kingdom, its agreement with Cohn Robbins Holdings was called off because of unfavorable market conditions.
Allwyn is now preparing for the challenges ahead, hoping to continue supplying British players with the lottery content they love while expanding and improving the National Lottery.