SISAL makes a late call to join National Lottery pursuit  

SISAL, the operator of Italy’s Superenalotto lottery, has entered the competition to win the UK government’s fourth National Lottery licence. 

This weekend, SISAL confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that it was preparing to launch its bid, backed by US private equity fund CVC Capital Partners.

SISAL Chief Executive Francesco Durante revealed that the Italian heritage gambling group had partnered with children’s charity Barnardo’s as its bid advisor on raising money for good causes.

Though light on details, Durante backed SISAL credentials to win the fourth licence contract, as the company has recently won back-to-back operating tenders for Turkey and Morocco’s national lotteries.   

DCMS formally launched the National Lottery competition last October, allowing for foreign and domestic parties to submit initial procurement proposals outlining their bid objectives.

SISAL joins Czech gambling conglomerate SAZKA Group and Indian lottery operator Sugal & Damani as a suitor vying to end Camelot UK thirty-year reign as the operating firm of the UK government’s multi-billion National Lottery contract.

A recapitalised SAZKA is currently recognised as Camelot’s biggest threat, with the Czech group launching a high-profile bid aiming to radically overhaul all elements of the National Lottery with regards to its commercial strategy, ticket purchasing, coverage of weekly draws and money raised for good causes. 

SAZKA’s high stakes bid is led by Sir Keith Mills, the former President of the London 2012’s winning Olympic Games bid committee.

 Further UK developments have seen SAZKA establish a National Lottery ‘advisory board’ featuring UK business figureheads Justin King (CBE), the former Group CEO or Sainsburys and lastminute.com founder Brent Hoberman (CBE).

SISAL’s late call to join the National Lottery’s pursuit, follows a period of heightened investment in sports by its bid partner CVC Capital, with the PE fund increasing its shareholding in Formula 1, The Six Nations and Premiership rugby.