Serving the nation’s dreams

Camelot is the licensed operator of the UK National Lottery. We have made The National Lottery one of the most-cost efficient in the world, enabling us to return a high proportion of revenue to society.

Camelot has run the UK National Lottery since it was founded in 1994 and we have recently been awarded a further 10-year Licence, starting in February 2009. Our main business objective has always been, and continues to be, to develop and run lottery games in the most efficient and responsible way possible to raise money for Good Causes – although we play no role in the distribution of that money.

The National Lottery is a unique institution, separate and distinct from the UK gambling sector, and Camelot is a unique company. Our sole purpose is to raise money for Good Causes in the UK. During 2007/08 we had an average of 978 (full-time equivalent) employees, all based in the UK. The majority of our suppliers are based in the UK and we work with a network of more than 26,200 retailers in communities across the country.

Under our current, second Licence we’ve introduced a broader range of games to meet the differing needs and tastes of our players. We’ve also developed new ways to play using channels such as the internet, mobile phones and interactive digital TV.

At the same time, we’ve met our wider commitments by integrating corporate responsibility into every aspect of our operations, from the protection of players, engagement with stakeholders and the satisfaction of our people, to our impact on the environment. We believe that it is important that, just as the Good Causes money raised by The National Lottery is used to improve the lives of millions of people across the UK, our work in operating the lottery is not harmful to the well-being of our players, employees and suppliers, or the broader environment.

We will build on these achievements, and further strengthen our commitment to Corporate Responsibility, in the new Licence period, beginning in February 2009. Our vision for the new Licence is to create the world’s most successful and responsible lottery. Read more about our transition plans for the third Licence.

As stewards of The National Lottery we’re responsible for designing and developing new games, marketing and advertising, managing the lottery infrastructure, providing services for players and winners, and working with a network of over 26,200 retailers. We currently run six draw-based games – Lotto, Lotto HotPicks, Dream Number, Thunderball, Daily Play and EuroMillions – as well as National Lottery Scratchcards and online Instant Win Games.

Camelot runs one of the most cost-efficient lotteries in the world, with around 4.5% of total revenue used in operating costs over the course of the second Licence. Total sales in the financial year 2007/08 were £4,966.3 million, a rise of 1.1% on 2006/07.

Most of our employees are based at our head office in Watford. We also have operations in Aintree, Northampton, London, Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow. Our sales force lives and works throughout the UK.

Camelot is a private company owned equally by five shareholders: Cadbury Holdings Ltd., De La Rue Holdings plc, Fujitsu Services Ltd, Royal Mail Enterprises Ltd and Thales Electronics plc. Each of these companies has a director on our Board who works alongside three independent Non-Executive Directors, a Non-Executive Chairman and five Executive Directors.

For more information, please refer to the Governance section and our Annual Report and Financial Statements (opens in new window).