Court of Appeal refuses TNLC permission to appeal

The Court of Appeal has refused The New Lottery Company Limited (TNLC) and Northern & Shell PLC’s application to appeal part of the High Court decision from April 2026 which had dismissed all claims against the Gambling Commission.

The High Court found against TNLC in respect of all its claims relating to the competition to award the 4th National Lottery licence and the subsequent modifications made to the agreement between the Gambling Commission and the successful bidder, Allwyn UK.

All three grounds of appeal were dismissed by Coulson LJ, concluding that TNLC should not be permitted to raise a new legal argument in particular where it amounted to running an argument expressly ruled out in the High Court, and that even on some lesser standard of proof, the TNLC’s prospects of success would have been vanishingly small. The Judge also notes that TNLC have suffered no loss in practical terms.

A Commission spokesperson said:

“This is an important decision for the operation of The National Lottery and one that we welcome. The Gambling Commission ran a fair and robust competition to award the Fourth National Lottery Licence and that none of the contested changes to the Licence, in the course of its implementation, were substantial or contrary to the relevant procurement regulations.

“The decision gives resounding support to Good Causes by enabling Allwyn, with oversight from the Commission, to continue with their plans for investment in The National Lottery without further distraction. Our priority remains to continue regulating The National Lottery for the benefit of participants and Good Causes.”

The National Lottery is one of the world’s largest lotteries and since launching in 1994, National Lottery players have collectively raised more than £53 billion for more than 680,000 Good Causes across the UK, transforming lives and contributing to the arts, sport, heritage and communities.