Allwyn UK and Vodafone have announced a partnership to revolutionise the technology infrastructure of the National Lottery for the benefit of consumers, retailers, and good causes.
A new National Lottery is set to launch on 1 February 2024, under the stewardship of Allwyn UK. Vodafone, which backed Allwyn’s bid as the ‘connectivity partner’, will power the collaboration to enhance the existing lottery communications system with a mobile-first approach, facilitating deployment, manageability, and retail sales growth.
The partnership will further focus on providing digital skills training for retailers across the UK, fulfilling Allwyn’s pledge to support high-street retailers throughout the ten-year license period.
Nick Gliddon, UK Business Director at Vodafone, said: “We understand the role that digital technology can play in transforming a business and improving customer experience. Since the lottery began, local shops have used pen and paper at lottery kiosks, and despite significant technological shifts, not much has changed.
“This partnership is a significant digital step forward that will help high street retailers keep up with changing consumer patterns, engage new audiences, and support Allwyn in reinvigorating the UK National Lottery so that it can continue to raise funds for good causes.”
A joint study by Vodafone and Allwyn revealed that one-third of British consumers desire increased digital technology implementation in their local convenience stores, a figure that rises to 50% among those aged 35 and younger.
Current digital technologies employed by corner shops include websites (19%), social media (16%), and self-service checkouts (15%). However, a mere 12% of customers reported that their local store offered a mobile app or loyalty scheme, and only 9% were aware of online collection ordering services.
These findings suggest significant potential for local retailers to incorporate digital technology into their customers’ shopping experiences.
Under the agreement, Vodafone will supply IoT connectivity and broadband as a private secure network for all retail locations. Furthermore, the communications provider will host the lottery in its UK data centres and provide Allwyn with Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity for all offices.
Robert Chvatal, Interim-CEO of Allwyn UK, expressed excitement over the partnership, which will bring numerous technological advancements and benefits for retailers.
“What we have now, with Vodafone, is a clearly defined scope and plan that will lead to numerous improvements on the current technology offer. In line with this improvement, there will be a number of benefits for retailers.
“Physical retail is a critically important part of our plan to grow the National Lottery and this is just one of the many things we are committed to doing over the course of the Fourth Licence to better support our retail partners with the investment and equipment they need to grow their own businesses.”
