Allwyn, the lottery’s operator, has introduced the option for retail prizes between £500.01 (€591/$615) and £50,000. The online claim solution was integrated by payments provider Bottomline.
Allwyn took the step following the Post Office’s decision to no longer pay so-called ‘mid-tier’ National Lottery retail prizes. The lottery paid out more than 45,000 such prizes to in-store customers last year, amounting to more than £50m.
Payment solution
With the new payment solution, retail players can claim prizes on a dedicated page via the lottery’s digital platform. Customers can fill in a form and upload an image of the winning ticket.
The default option will be for the prize to be paid directly into the player’s bank account. However, players can still choose to be paid by cheque – the standard method for such mid-tier prizes until now.
The payment will be paid directly into a customer’s bank account within 24 hours of the claim during the week. For claims submitted over the weekend, the payment may take two or three days to arrive.
“Not only will this see these prizes paid faster than ever before, but it also drastically cuts down on administration and postage costs,” Allwyn’s operations director Jenny Blogg said.
“This cost efficiency will see more money going to the good causes that the National Lottery supports and see prize money in players’ pockets in record time – so it really is a win-win.”
Technological commitments
Allwyn took over as National Lottery operator in February 2024, replacing Camelot, which had run the lottery for 30 years. Since then, Allwyn states that it has integrated several new technological solutions to enhance the customer experience.
Allwyn’s successful bid for the licence through to January 2034 included a commitment to carry out significant upgrades.
In November 2024, several media reports claimed that a broad technological overhaul of the lottery could be delayed by Allwyn. The operator was said to be working towards a new deadline of February 2025 for integrating significant upgrades.
Issues with the upgrade reportedly started when International Games Technology (IGT) challenged the decision to award Allwyn the licence. IGT pursued a claim for damages in the High Court after having supplied technology to Camelot since the Lottery’s launch.
IGT eventually asked the Court of Appeal to dismiss the claim and sealed a new technology partnership with Allwyn. However, the case led to a six-month deferral on the licence being finalised.
