The operator of Italy’s most popular lottery has joined the race to seize control of the National Lottery from Camelot.
Sisal, which runs Italy’s SuperEnalotto national lottery, is making a bid with support from CVC Capital Partners, the private equity firm.
“It’s one of the largest lotteries in the world, so for people working in our industry it’s a big aspiration,” Francesco Durante, chief executive of Sisal, told The Sunday Telegraph.
Camelot, which was acquired by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan in 2010 for £389 million, has run the lottery since its launch in 1994. Its licence expires in 2023 and the Gambling Commission is due to decide on a formal bid process this year.
Other bidders are expected to include Richard Desmond, the former media tycoon who runs the UK’s Health Lottery and Sazka, the Czech gambling company owned by Karel Komárek.
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Sisal’s bid will be made in partnership with Barnado’s, the children’s charity, which will advise on raising money for good causes in Britain.
A spokesman for Camelot said: “Our immediate focus is on continuing to keep [the lottery] strong and healthy.”
