A UK High Court has ordered Richard Desmond and his Northern & Shell company to pay over £40 million after losing its legal battle against the UKGC and Allwyn over the fourth National Lottery license granted in 2022. The UK court dismissed the £1.3 billion Allwyn National License case on April 17, 2026, after which,
A UK High Court has ordered Richard Desmond and his Northern & Shell company to pay over £40 million after losing its legal battle against the UKGC and Allwyn over the fourth National Lottery license granted in 2022.
The UK court dismissed the £1.3 billion Allwyn National License case on April 17, 2026, after which, on May 22, Justice Joanne Smith ordered Desmond to pay 75% of the UKGC’s legal costs and 70% of Allwyn’s expenses, making up more than £40 million in total.
The case revolved around Desmond claiming that the Commission and Allwyn made modifications in the tender process and wrongly granted the license to Allwyn, seeking £1.3 billion in damages. The trial lasted from October 9, 2025, to December 2, 2025, with the legal fees having accumulated over the period.
The UKGC commented on the court ruling:
“The Gambling Commission welcomes the Judge’s decision to award the Commission’s costs on an indemnity basis alongside the High Court’s decision to refuse permission to appeal the April judgment, which ruled in favour of the Gambling Commission on all of the claims made by TNLC, rejecting the allegations which had been made.”
An Allwyn spokesperson added:
“We welcome this clear and comprehensive judgment, which confirms that the Gambling Commission ran a fair and lawful licence competition, properly awarding the Fourth National Lottery Licence to Allwyn. The court further found that both Good Causes and Allwyn have suffered significant losses due to the delays caused by litigation brought by the unsuccessful applicants.”
Previously, the UKGC had offered to pay £10 million to Desmond in order to settle; however, the businessman refused.