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The Irish Times - Saturday, April 7, 2012  【来源】 

Goodbody advising An Post on proposal for lottery bid

 EOIN BURKE-KENNEDY

 

AN POST is working with Goodbody Stockbrokers on assembling a financial consortium to bid for the next National Lottery licence.

 

The semi-State company, which has operated Ireland’s lottery business since its inception in 1986, is keen to retain the licence which is to go out to tender later this year.

 

The Government intends to offer an extended 20-year licence and a significantly enhanced operator’s fee in return for a large upfront payment, thought to be in region of €400-€600 million.

 

An Post, which operates the lottery for an annual management fee just under €3 million, declined to comment on how it plans to fund its bid. However, it is understood that the company recently engaged Goodbody Corporate Finance to explore several possible funding options, and to draw up an options document.

 

One of the options under consideration is a joint bid with US gaming and technology firm Gtech Corporation, which already supplies the Irish lottery with ticket terminals.

 

Gtech, which is a subsidiary of Italian gaming giant Lottomatica, the world’s largest lottery operator, has expressed an interest in acquiring the licence under certain conditions.

 

Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin announced on Thursday that the new licence would be awarded early next year to the winner of a bidding process that will take place in October.

 

He also indicated his intention to appoint external consultants to assist the Government with the competitive process.

 

Provisional figures for 2011 show the National Lottery generated ticket and scratch sales worth €761 million, marginally less than the €772 million recorded in 2010.

 

An Post’s lottery licence has been in place since December 2001 when it was issued by then minister for finance Charlie McCreevy.

 

The Government last year extended the licence by further 18 months to June 2013 in order to allow time for the holding of a competition for the new permit.

 

An Post will face significant competition for the licence this time round from United Kingdom company Camelot, which already operates in the North, and from Australian gambling firm Tatts Group, which recently won the right to operate the New South Wales lottery, both of which have indicated an interest in acquiring the licence.

 

A Camelot spokesman yesterday confirmed that the company was following the process closely. “We await with interest more information on the plans for the lease structure before making a final decision on whether to participate further.”

 

 

 

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Camelot in running to buy lottery licence

By Shaun Connolly, Political Correspondent

 

Thursday, April 05, 2012

 

The operator of Britain’s national lottery has moved quickly to express interest in its Irish counterpart as the Government put a 20-year licence to run it up for sale.

 

British gambling giant Camelot said it welcomed the Irish move, but needed time to "digest" the implications of bidding for the lucrative deal.

 

The slice of lottery money earmarked for good causes will remain at 30.5%, Public Sector Reform Minister Brendan Howlin insisted yesterday as he announced the far-reaching changes to the gaming set-up.

 

The new licence would deliver an upfront payment of several hundred million euro — estimated in the €400m-€600m range — which could be pumped into projects such as the national children’s hospital.

 

The longer licence has been designed to attract international bidders such as Camelot and will replace the present licence awarded to An Post National Lottery Company, which operates the Lotto for an annual management fee of €2.8m.

 

Mr Howlin said that front-loading lottery-generated money to the State would benefit taxpayers, and help specific projects such as the hospital.

 

"I am locking-in a sizeable future revenue stream as part of any deal.

 

"The ongoing money towards good causes will be retained at current percentage levels.

 

"This will be a good deal for the State and the taxpayer.

 

"Where the State identifies options to generate additional revenues that don’t impact on taxpayers we need to pursue them."

 

The tendering process is due to be completed early next year, with the present licence already extended to July 2013 in anticipation of this.

 

The licence changes are expected to trigger a major increase in online activities for the lottery under its next licence operator.

 

"The online applications and processes of the National Lottery need to be modernised," said Mr Howlin.

 

"Globally, lotteries are doing more business online and in the context of a 20-year licence we need to provide for this but in a manner that has sufficient safeguards."

 

An Post said it was looking forward to "actively competing for the new lottery licence", with Australian gaming giant the Tatts Group also believed to be interested.

 

Camelot top brass have already held a number of meetings with government officials regarding the sale of the lottery licence.

 

A spokesperson for the company said it was glad that Ireland was "moving forward" with its lottery arrangements.

 

The National Lottery paid out €420m in prizes and produced €244m for charities in 2010 from sales of €772m.