Litigating major UK Government contracts: lessons from the UK National Lottery litigation

In 2022, the UK government decided that the c. £8 billion Fourth National Lottery Licence (4NLL) - generally regarded as the most valuable public contract in the United Kingdom - should be awarded to Allwyn, the Czech owned global lotteries operator. The decision brought ended Camelot’s decades long position as the UK lottery provider, deprived the global gambling leader IGT of one of its key lottery technology contract and provoked a furious response from the well-known businessman Mr Richard Desmond, who had bid in the 4NLC competition as ’The New Lottery Company’.

An unprecedented series of legal challenges followed, with the 4NLL award decision giving rise to substantial, complex proceedings in the High Court , Court of Appeal and Competition Appeal Tribunal, a plethora of hotly contested interim hearings over a period of 4 years, legal costs running into many tens of millions of pounds and important judgments on a number of novel and significant legal issues (including the availability of injunctive relief in respect of major Government projects and the loss of privilege (as a result of the accidental disclosure by the UK Government of c. 5000 legally privileged documents to some of the claimants). The 10-week trial of Richard Desmond’s legal challenge to the fairness and integrity of the 4NLC award decision, and various modifications made to the 4NLL after it was awarded, was heard by the High Court in October 2025-January 2026 and judgment will be handed down in April 2026.

Dominic Roughton of Quinn Emanuel and Joseph Barrett KC of 11KBW, who acted for Allwyn at each stage of the 4NLC litigation, with Kate Vernon of Quinn Emanuel and Rupert Paines of 11KBW, will explore the key legal, strategic and tactical lessons that emerge from the national lottery litigation. The talk will be of particular interest for international and UK businesses and commercial operators who contract, or transact, with the UK Government in respect of significant UK public sector contracts and projects.