About a year ago, Camelot won the licence to run the National Lottery for the third time. This time the licence was for 10 years (with a potential 5 year option on top). Now, most of the shareholders are selling out. In fact all of them except for the Royal Mail, in other words about 80% of the company wish to sell.

During the bid process, there was only one other bidder, the Indian company Sugal and Damani.

I wonder who the bidders will be?? Sugal and Damani perhaps? Having been beaten in the bidding process last year, how strange would it be to find them buying Camelot? Seems to us that the only people gaining from this are the shareholders of Camelot. At the end of the last licence period, the value of their shares was effectively zero. Now they seem set to pick up a few hundred million. And the wheel goes round and round!!

Finally, what is the Royal Mail doing owning 20%+ of Camelot?? I know it sells tickets through its branches but, especially in the light of the current problems, wouldn’t it be better to concentrate on running the Royal Mail??

Other news topics : Gala Coral Ladbrokes The Tote Camelot