Allwyn to become Illinois Lottery's new operator through Camelot LS Group acquisition

European lottery operator Allwyn AG and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board announced Thursday that Allwyn has agreed to acquire the Camelot Lottery Solutions group of companies currently owned by Ontario Teachers’.

The Camelot LS Group, headquartered in Chicago, operates the Illinois Lottery under a private management agreement through its operating company, Camelot Illinois LLC, and partners with the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery to enhance its lottery operations. 

Furthermore, the group includes a technology arm that provides products and services to lotteries and their players throughout Europe and North America. No changes are planned to the Camelot LS Group leadership team in connection with the transaction, and the business will continue "to enhance the performance of the lotteries it supports," says Allwyn.

Following the transaction, "the proven leadership team will have access to in-depth experience developed by Allwyn over more than a decade of operating lotteries across Europe," according to the firm.

Camelot LS Group Chief Executive Wayne Pickup said: “We remain committed to serving our customers, engaging players and growing lottery revenue to benefit the communities they serve.” 

“As the private manager of the Illinois Lottery, we work closely with the Department of Lottery to drive responsible and sustainable growth to maximize revenue for the State of Illinois,” he added. “Combining the resources, expertise and talent of Allwyn and Camelot LS Group will only strengthen the results we help the State of Illinois and all our customers achieve.”

Robert Chvátal, CEO of Allwyn, also commented: “We have always viewed the US market as an important part of Allwyn's future growth story, and the acquisition of Camelot LS Group is the right step.” 

“Allwyn's goal is building better lotteries, and helping them raise more for good causes, through innovation, technology, efficiency and safety in our quest for enhanced player engagement,” he continued. “Both Allwyn and Camelot share a passion about the lottery business, delivering value to our customers, and growing lottery returns to communities."

Allwyn operates lotteries in Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece and Cyprus and Italy. Camelot Group is an affiliate of Camelot UK Lotteries Limited, which Allwyn agreed to acquire from Ontario Teachers' last month. 

Camelot UK is the current operator of the UK National Lottery under a license that runs until 31 January 2024. Earlier this year, a subsidiary of Allwyn was awarded the license to operate the UK National Lottery under the Fourth License, which runs from February 2024 for 10 years.

The deal to acquire Camelot UK will gain Allwyn access to the UK Lottery operator's earnings roughly a year before it surrenders control of the franchise it has held since the National Lottery launched in 1994.