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Camelot gets nod for UK lottery Camelot gets nod for UK lottery
(21 minutes later)
Camelot has been chosen as the preferred bidder for the latest licence to run the UK's National Lottery.Camelot has been chosen as the preferred bidder for the latest licence to run the UK's National Lottery.
The licence, the third in the lottery's history, will come into effect in February 2009 and last for 10 years.The licence, the third in the lottery's history, will come into effect in February 2009 and last for 10 years.
Camelot has run the National Lottery since its launch in 1994 and said it expects to conclude talks with the National Lottery Commission this month.Camelot has run the National Lottery since its launch in 1994 and said it expects to conclude talks with the National Lottery Commission this month.
Camelot had been facing competition from Indian company Sugal & Damani, which wanted to take over operations.Camelot had been facing competition from Indian company Sugal & Damani, which wanted to take over operations.
"We now need to agree the final form of the licence," said Dianne Thompson, Camelot's chief executive.
"The competition is not over until this has been done."
Winning ticket
As well as providing a broad range of games for people to play, lottery operators must also generate as much cash as possible for good causes.
Critics of Camelot have complained that the firm has not made enough money.
Total spending on lottery tickets fell last year to £4.91bn from £5.01bn while money raised for good causes also dropped to £1.24bn from £1.29bn.
The successful bidder had to show that it could manage the transition to the next licence smoothly, a requirement experts believed would favour Camelot.
Besides its other responsibilities, the next Lottery operator will be expected to hit targets for raising funds for the 2012 Olympics.
About £2.2bn is currently earmarked from Lottery funds for the Olympics, with £750m expected to come from specially-designated games.
Camelot is also promising to launch the world's first global lottery draw as part of its package of games, which will create up to 100 millionaires every month.