The government keeps telling us that they are desperate for economic growth and keen to attract overseas investment in UK plc. But a case at the High Court last week casts some doubt over that.

It all goes back to a case brought by Richard Desmond, the owner of the Express newspapers (and retired pornographer), who sued the Gambling Commission over their decision in 2022 to award the National Lottery licence to Allwyn. Allwyn is a company owned by Karel Komarek, a Czech businessman with interests around the world. They’re the biggest lottery operator in Europe and have the licence to operate in the US states of Illinois and Michigan.

Desmond’s case was that he should have been awarded the licence, not Allwyn. He lost and now faces legal bills of £70 million. But the judgment on his claim makes wretched reading for the Gambling Commission. 

The Gambling Commission does not come under the purview of the Treasury

The Gambling Commission does not come under the purview of the Treasury

The judge found that, in essence, the commission botched the handover of the lottery licence. Camelot had run the lottery for nearly 30 years before........

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