The National Lottery could introduce a new draw game within weeks, following a £450 million digital upgrade that has attracted an additional million online players. Operator Allwyn confirmed it had completed a major IT overhaul, transferring 18 million player records and over three billion historical transactions to new platforms.
The upgrade, which caused the National Lottery website and app to go offline for around 24 hours in January, includes enhanced digital systems expected to pave the way for new games. New player protections have also been implemented, such as compulsory deposit limits, automatic logouts after 60 minutes, and regular reality checks for instant game players.
Allwyn took over the 10-year licence to run the National Lottery in 2024 from Camelot, which had operated it since 1994. The company reported a record 12.1 million people using digital platforms, a rise of one million year-on-year, with digital sales reaching £4.1 billion in 2025, up 9.8%.
Overall sales, including in-store tickets, hit £8.1 billion in 2025, a 3.5% increase. Over £1.7 billion was raised for good causes, while £967 million was collected in taxes. Andria Vidler, chief executive of Allwyn UK, said: 'We are delighted to have delivered growth... these much-needed upgrades now allow us to launch new games and products, meaning we can generate more money than ever before for good causes.'
