By Simon Jones on Tuesday, 16 May 2006 Sir Richard Branson, BSkyB and Ladbrokes are all said to be interested in taking over the National Lottery when its 10-year license is up for sale this year.
Although the process is in its early stages, Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB and British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson are both said to have expressed an interest, the Guardian reports.
That means that current operator Camelot, which has run the lottery since 1994, will face some stiff competition.
Camelot was established by five companies including Cadbury Schweppes and Royal Mail in 1994 and has raised almost £20 billion for good causes in that time, as well as giving away some £27 million in prizes to lucky winners.
Although Camelot recently unveiled sales figures of more than £5 billion, many commentators believe that the company is struggling and that other operators may be able to do a better job. The National Lottery Commission will decide by the end of the year who it will be.
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