Allwyn UK has finalised an agreement with Vodafone to upgrade the technology underpinning the new UK National Lottery licence from February 2024.
The partnership will see the existing National Lottery communications infrastructure upgraded to a mobile-first approach, helping support retailers to grow sales over the course of the ten-year lottery licence.
Vodafone will also work with Allwyn to provide digital skills training for retailers across the UK, as part of Allwyn’s commitment to support high street retailers.
“Today’s news concludes the partnership agreement we signed during the competition for the Fourth National Lottery Licence,” said Allwyn UK interim CEO Robert Chvatal. “What we have now, with Vodafone, is a clearly defined scope and plan that will lead to numerous improvements on the current technology offer.
“In line with this improvement, there will be a number of benefits for retailers. Physical retail is a critically important part of our plan to grow the National Lottery and this is just one of the many things we are committed to doing over the course of the Fourth Licence to better support our retail partners with the investment and equipment they need to grow their own businesses.”
As part of the agreement, Vodafone will provide IoT connectivity and broadband, which will be delivered as a private secure network for all retail sites.
Vodafone will also host the lottery in its UK data centres and provide Allwyn with Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity to all their offices.
“We understand the role that digital technology can play in transforming a business and improving customer experience,” said Vodafone UK business director Nick Gliddon. “Since the lottery began, local shops have used pen and paper at lottery kiosks and, despite the significant technological shifts, not much has changed.
“This partnership is a significant digital step forward that will help high street retailers keep up with changing consumer patterns, engaging new audiences and supporting Allwyn with reinvigorating the UK National Lottery so that it can continue to raise funds for good causes.”
Research by Vodafone and Allwyn found that a third of Brits would like to see more digital technology in their local convenience store, rising to half with consumers aged 35 and under.
It revealed that the most common forms of digital tech being used by local corner shops were websites (19 per cent), social media (16 per cent), and self-service checkouts (15 per cent). However, only 12 per cent of customers said their local store had a mobile app or loyalty scheme and only 9 per cent said they were aware of online collection ordering services.