Camelot Loses Appeal Against Health Lottery

Camelot, operator of the National Lottery, has lost in its appeal against its rival, the Health Lottery.

Despite the fact that Camelot considers the Health Lottery as "unlawful and a blatant example of an attempt to commercialise a society lottery on an industrial scale that cuts across the spirit and letter of statute and regulation," the High Court was not convinced and ruled in favour of the Gambling Commission, which will continue to allow the Health Lottery to operate.

The Health Lottery essentially manages and promotes draws on behalf of over 50 local charities (society lotteries).

Camelot has always maintained that the Health Lottery directly contradicts the wording of the National Lottery Act of 1993 which makes provision for only one national lottery.

It has failed to convince the High Court, however, of its opinion and Camelot lost the Health Lottery appeal this week.

Camelot to Appeal High Court Decision

Soon after the High Court ruled that the Health Lottery and the National Lottery are able to operate side by side in the UK industry, Camelot said that it was disappointed with the ruling and intended to launch an appeal.

Camelot said that it would "lodge papers with the Court of Appeal" over a "legally flawed and unfair decision by the court."

Richard Desmond, whose Northern and Shell set up the Health Lottery last year, said that the case triggered by Camelot had been "a waste of time."

He said that the funds raised by the Health Lottery (around £500K a week) was for people "who really need the money".

Desmond stressed in a BBC interview that the services offered by the Health Lottery were "not at all similar" to the National Lottery and that they were in fact "two very different things."

The Health Lottery has raised over £22 million for the 51 organisations it represents since it was launched in October 2011. It offers a top prize of £100,000.

Camelot Calls for Government Intervention

Camelot has now called on the government to intervene in the decision and try and resolve the ongoing dispute between the two lotteries.

"It is now imperative that the government acts to close this loophole and to ensure that the law mirrors the intention and will of parliament that there should only one National Lottery," noted Camelot's Chief Executive, Dianne Thompson.