Allwyn was haunted by yet another blunder over the weekend, this time facing a technical glitch with a bonus ball.
The YouTube live streaming of the National Lottery’s Lotto draw last Saturday was unexpectedly stopped as viewers witnessed the bonus ball failing to properly dispense.
A spokesperson for the National Lottery operator was quoted as saying: “We expect to complete tonight’s Lotto draw and publish the verified results on national-lottery.co.uk later this evening and apologise for the delay.”
It is understood that the draw machine was later swapped to resume the process ‘under independent supervision’, with the winning numbers being showcased later that evening.
The spokesperson added: “We have robust processes in place for every draw. Due to the Lotto Bonus Ball not dropping, Saturday’s draw was paused. Once resumed, we followed the strict procedures set out in the Draw Operations Procedures and an alternative draw machine was used to pick the Bonus Ball. As always, this took place under the supervision of an independent adjudicator.”
Allwyn has been operating the National Lottery since last year, having won the licence tender in 2022 and subsequently replacing Camelot as the sole lottery operator for the first time since 1994.
Retail not safe from controversy
As part of its efforts to renovate the whole National Lottery retail system, Allwyn has begun the rollout of its new Wave terminals across the UK. These not only provide brand new hardware, but also B2C software.
In a recent statement, the operator confirmed that more than 22,000 new terminals have now been installed in retail locations, marking the halfway point towards its end goal.
Some of the features boasted by the new terminals include faster transactions, better screens, more accurate scanners, and improved reporting functionality.
And while Allwyn’s Director of Operations, Jenny Blogg, said that the company has now invested more than £400m in updating the National Lottery’s legacy retail system, the rollout was met with mixed feelings in its initial stages.
Among the positive feedback were also some retailers complaining about slow UX interface and convoluted operating systems, coupled with a lack of adequate support from Allwyn.
However, the operator has maintained that the earlier issues raised by its partners have been dealt with and that it is working towards a more stress-free terminal introduction.
Allwyn also remains committed to doubling returns to Good Causes from £30m to £60m every week by the end of its 10-year licence in 2034.
The firm continues to face other challenges, however, particularly legal ones. Notably, a challenge against the Gambling Commission’s decision to award Allwyn the lottery licence is currently underway in the High Court of England and Wales.