Allwyn Group's UK subsidiary announced that from 11 PM (GMT) on January 24th to all day on January 25th, the UK National Lottery will undergo a "significant" digital upgrade. This is the most substantial optimization of the lottery system since 2009, during which online and mobile services will be temporarily offline, and 11.8 million player accounts will be migrated to a new account management system. After the upgrade, more game categories will be added, player protection tools will be enhanced, and the process for checking draw results and claiming prizes will be simplified to better meet user needs. Examples of digital upgrade compliance cases and technical standards in the lottery industry can be found on the PASA official website.
Core of the Upgrade: Timing, Scope, and Three Major New Features
The core details of this digital upgrade are clear, focusing on user experience and system optimization:
Upgrade period: From 11 PM on January 24th to all day on January 25th, the online official website and APP will be temporarily unavailable, completing the system switch and account migration;
Account migration: Covering 11.8 million UK National Lottery player accounts, all migrated to the brand new account management system, strengthening the service foundation;
Expansion of game categories, providing more choices for players;
Enhanced player protection tools, improving participation safety;
Simplified result checking and prize claiming processes, lowering the operational threshold.
Feature upgrade:
Allwyn UK CEO Andrea Vedle stated that this series of upgrades is an important milestone in the lottery transformation, "making the National Lottery more player-centric, generating more winners, and providing stronger support for charitable causes."
Offline Assurance: Retail Channels Unaffected, Services Continue Online
During the online service suspension period, the operation of offline retail channels will not be disrupted:
Normal ticket purchasing and prize claiming: Players can continue to buy physical lottery tickets and instant scratch cards at retail outlets, and the offline prize claiming process is unaffected;
Results are published simultaneously: Draw results will be updated simultaneously on the UK National Lottery YouTube channel and displayed at retail stores, making it convenient for players to check;
Customer service full support: During the upgrade period, the customer service team will be on standby at all times to answer questions and provide assistance, avoiding service interruptions.
Upgrade Background: Addressing Delays and Aiming to Double Charitable Contributions
The implementation of this digital upgrade also addresses previous industry criticisms of Allwyn:
Past delay issues: Allwyn took over the operation rights of the UK National Lottery on February 1, 2024, and had promised to advance technological upgrades and enhance charitable returns, but related work was delayed, with the system upgrade originally planned for February 2025 only being completed later that year;
Core charitable goals: Vedle emphasized that this upgrade is just the beginning, "2025 holds many opportunities for us and the National Lottery, with our goal being to double the weekly amount given to charitable causes from the initial £30 million to £60 million by 2034";
Earlier retail upgrades: From August to September 2025, Allwyn completed the technological upgrade of retail channels, supported by Scientific Games' Momentum system for 43,500 national retail outlets, marking another major play in the transformation.
Strategic Layout: Strengthening Retail + Easing Regulation to Solidify Operational Foundations
Facing potential regulatory pressures, Allwyn consolidates its operational advantages through multiple strategies:
Easing regulatory risks: Previously, due to delays in technological upgrades and failure to reduce lottery ticket prices from £2 to £1 as promised, Allwyn faced regulatory action risks from the UK Gambling Commission, but the implementation of this digital upgrade is expected to alleviate this pressure;
Strengthening retail channels: This month, Allwyn added a new position of Retail Managing Director, appointing senior executive Bridget Lee, highlighting a "refocused" emphasis on improving retail channel performance;
Full channel synergy: Through successive upgrades of retail and digital channels, Allwyn is gradually perfecting the UK National Lottery's full channel operation system, paving the way for achieving long-term goals.
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