One of the main contenders to win the race for the next National Lottery licence will this week unveil a gambling industry veteran as its chief executive.

Sky News understands that David Craven is to take the helm at Allwyn, which is owned by the Czech Republic-based European lottery operator Sazka Group.

Mr Craven, whose appointment is expected to be announced on Wednesday, has run a number of major gaming software and gambling businesses, including The Tote and World Gaming.

One source said on Monday that Mr Craven’s experience at digitising gambling-related businesses was a key factor in his recruitment to run Allwyn.

His appointment at Allwyn will come amid an increasingly fierce contest to wrest the National Lottery licence from Camelot Group, the long-standing incumbent.

The Gambling Commission is expected to decide later this year whether to award a further term to Camelot or hand the next licence to a rival bidder.

To boost its chances of winning the contest, Sazka recruited a heavyweight group of executives including Sir Keith Mills, the Air Miles and Nectar founder who spearheaded London’s successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympic Games.

Sir Keith, who joined as the bid chairman last year, has since brought on board prominent business leaders including Justin King, former J Sainsbury chief executive, and Brent Hoberman, one of the founders of Lastminute.com.

“For many years, Allwyn’s parent company SAZKA Group has pursued a digital-first approach to lotteries across Europe,” Sir Keith said.

“Not only has this produced impressive online sales growth, but it has also translated to consistently strong sales growth in the retail sector too.

“Any business that wants to grow its customer base must be able to demonstrate a credible plan to invest in and deploy the latest technology.”

He added that Mr Craven’s “phenomenal track record in software, broadband and gaming gives him an excellent understanding of this”.

Camelot said last month that the Lottery had raised its biggest-ever sum for good causes in 2020, despite the pandemic.

The company, which is owned by a Canadian pension fund, nevertheless faces its toughest battle since the competition’s advent in the 1990s to hang onto the licence.

“National Lotteries are needed now more than ever,” Mr Craven said.

“I’ve always focused on how technology can be used to improve the customer experience, whether that be in-store or online.

“Not only does this mean making games fun and exciting, but I passionately believe that technology is the best way to safeguard customers.”

Allwyn has announced a partnership with Vodafone that will aim to introduce more widespread adoption of the National Lottery on mobile devices – an area that rivals say Camelot has been deficient in.

Other bidders for the licence include the former Daily Express owner Richard Desmond’s Northern & Shell, and the Italian group Sisal.

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