Owned by private equity group CVC, which bought it for €1bn in 2016, Sisal has operations in Spain, Morocco and Turkey – where it fought off Sazka to win two lottery contracts – as well as in its native Italy. Photograph: Alessandro Rota/Getty ImagesĪmong the challengers to Camelot, Italian operator Sisal, headed by chief executive Francesco Durante, has perhaps the lowest profile but it is not there just to make up the numbers. In 2012, the Canadian-owned firm failed in its legal bid to have the Health Lottery’s licence from the Gambling Commission revoked.įrancesco Durante, chief executive of Italian operator Sisal. It was criticised in the year of its launch for devoting too small a proportion of ticket sales to good causes, but has subsequently increased contributions.ĭesmond has crossed swords with Camelot once before. The Health Lottery has been running since 2011 but not without controversy. Desmond already owns the Health Lottery, which has its roots in an abortive attempt in the 1980s to raise funds for the NHS. The former proprietor of the Daily Express and Asian Babes sold his stake in media group Reach to fund a £20m tilt at running the national lottery via his Northern & Shell vehicle.
The Czech businessman defended himself vigorously against allegations which were, the court heard, worthy of a James Bond film.Īlso in the running is a face more familiar to the British business community, media mogul Richard Desmond. Komárek has few UK interests, although he once fought an acrimonious courtroom battle with British oil firm Ramco Energy.