Richard Desmond hit with £40m bill over ‘fanciful’ lottery feud Legal Media tycoon Richard Desmond’s company Northern and Shell has been ordered to pay over £40m after a two-year-long legal feud with the Gambling Commission over the 2022 National Lottery license. A High Court judge has ordered media giant Northern and Shell and its subsidiary, the New Lottery Company, to cough up 75 per cent of [...]
Easyjet founder bets on World Cup in prediction markets pivot Retail The billionaire behind Easyjet is taking a punt on sports betting as he launches prediction markets ahead of the World Cup. Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, who founded the budget airline in 1995, launched his Easybet platform in 2024 and is now expanding into prediction markets, City PM can reveal. Betting is the latest spin-off for the [...]
Judge throws out Richard Desmond’s billion-pound lottery case April 17, 2026 Media tycoon Richard Desmond has lost his billion-pound legal battle against the Gambling Commission over the 2022 National Lottery license. Desmond’s group, Northern and Shell, and its subsidiary, the New Lottery Company, launched a £1.3bn legal action against the Gambling Commission after it awarded the next licence to Czech gambling group Allwyn. The procurement competition for [...]
Former Entain execs take Gambling Commission to court over failed 888 bid December 9, 2025 The former CEO and chairman of Entain, the group behind Coral and Ladbrokes, are set to face the Gambling Commission at court on Tuesday over alleged misuse of private information. Kenny Alexander and Lee Feldman filed a civil case against the UK’s gambling regulator in October 2024. This action follows their failed 2023 leadership bid [...]
Richard Desmond’s group makes Rothschild allegation in £1.3bn National Lottery dispute October 15, 2025 A high-stakes legal showdown has kicked off over the Gambling Commission’s handling of the fourth National Lottery licence, as the role of financial advisor Rothschild and its prior ties to the winning bidder take centre stage in court. Media baron Richard Desmond’s group Northern and Shell and its subsidiary, the New Lottery Company, launched legal [...]
Allwyn UK boss: The National Lottery is not gambling July 23, 2025 The boss of Allwyn UK has insisted the National Lottery is not gambling, despite the company being regulated by the Gambling Commission. Andria Vidler, in the latest episode of City PM‘s Boardroom Uncovered show, sought to set the National Lottery apart from betting giants such as Bet365, Betfred and PaddyPower. Also as part of the [...]
The ‘Tell Sid’ campaign should learn from the gambling industry July 22, 2025 There are two common explanations for why Brits invest so much less in stocks than our US counterparts. The first is we have a risk-averse culture, so cash is king. The second is we are a poor nation, and many lack the money. But here’s a counterpoint: gambling. By some measures, the UK has the [...]
Profit surges at Richard Desmond’s empire ahead of UK lottery court battle June 25, 2025 Profit at Richard Desmond’s Northern & Shell has surged ahead of a battle starting in the High Court over the UK’s National Lottery. The media tycoon is taking the Gambling Commission to court in October after missing out on winning the licence to run the National Lottery in 2022. Richard Desmond’s empire is seeking for [...]
Newcastle United and Fulham warned by Gambling Commission May 16, 2025 Newcastle United and Fulham are among five football clubs who have been warned by the Gambling Commission over sponsorship deals with unlicensed betting company TGP Europe. TGP Europe, a white-label operator for more than 30 gambling websites including Fun88 and SBOTOP, has surrendered its UK licence after being fined £3.3m for breaching regulations. The clubs [...]
