Chocalate and soft drinks king Cadbury Schweppes Plc on Friday emerged as a key contender in the bidding for Britain’s National Lottery when the Camelot Group Plc announced its full line-up and plans. As well as Cadbury Schweppes, three other backers have 22.5% each of Camelot, and ICL Plc has the remaining 10%. The US partner with gaming systems expertise is GTech Holdings Corp, which supplies two thirds of the world market for electronic lottery equipment, and the other shareholders are Racal Electronics Plc and De La Rue Group Plc. Tim Holley, chief executive of Camelot Group, quotes forecasts of UKP1,500m to UKP2,000m of turnover for the lottery in its first year, perhaps tripling eventually. The other leading contenders are Granada Group Plc in partnership with Hambros Bank Plc, Vodafone Group Plc and the Automatic Wagering International Inc arm of Video Lottery Technologies Inc; and Tattersall Sweep Consultation Pty Ltd from Down Under, in partnership with merchant bank N M Rothschild & Co. Camelot expects the lottery to complete the parliamentary process by November with invitations to bid by the end of the year, a decision by next April and the lottery starting towards the end of 1994. The Department of National Heritage wants half the turnover to go to prizes, 12% in tax, 13% in running costs and the remaining 25% to sport and the arts. Holley said each of the five good cause categories could be receiving UKP100m in the first years, rising to perhaps twice that. ICL would make the terminals if Camelot is the victor, with La Rue would printing the lottery tickets, Racal providing the communications and Cadbury bringing in the retail and advertising expertise.
