Brent Hoberman to Advise Sazka on Its Bid for National Lottery

Sazka Group announced that it hired the services of Brent Hoberman. In his new position, the founder of Lastminute.com will provide counsel for the company on its bid for the National Lottery license in the U.K.

Sazka Group Hires the Services of Brent Hoberman

One of Europe’s fastest-growing lottery companies, Sazka Group, announced that it hired the services of Brent Hoberman. By joining the company’s advisory board, the founder of Lastminute.com, Mr. Hoberman, will be helping the company on its bid for the National Lottery license in the U.K. Mr. Hoberman will be joining forces with the recently appointed retail executive Justin King. Furthermore, the two professionals and the bidding team will provide counsel to Sir Keith Mills, who was appointed bid chair last year in November.

“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.”

Brent Hoberman

In a statement, Mr. Hoberman commented about his appointment saying that the U.K. needs a National Lottery which is focused on the digital and technological aspect. Furthermore, he stressed that the lottery audiences need to have access via many different channels.

According to Mr. Hoberman, the lottery holds much “untapped potential”. He added that by teaming up with an industry leader such as Sazka Group, the National Lottery will set “the standard for the way all other lotteries around the world operate in the 21st century.“

Mr. Hoberman Brings Remarkable Experience

Mr. Mills shared his excitement about Hoberman’s appointment by saying that he has remarkable experience when it comes to building technologies that are beneficial for multiple sectors. According to him, Hoberman’s entrepreneurial mindset combined with his expertise will help in the company’s efforts to digitalize the National Lottery. As a result, the institution is going to be future-proofed with the help of new technologies, said Mr. Mills in conclusion.

“Brent Hoberman has a remarkable record of building innovative technology for the betterment of a number of sectors.”

Sir Keith Mills

Born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1968, Mr. Hoberman co-founded Lastminute.com in 1998. The online travel and leisure retail business was sold to the travel technology company Sabre Corporation in 2005 for approximately $1.1 billion. Afterward, the entrepreneur co-founded Founders Factory which is a corporate-backed venture studio and accelerator, and Founders Forum, which is a community connecting entrepreneurs, senior investors, corporate CEOs, and leaders.

Currently, the National Lottery license holder is Camelot. The company has been a license holder since the lottery first launched back in 1994. Camelot’s current license is set to expire in July 2023 and if Sazka wins the bid, it will bring the first change in nearly three decades.