Blending brand power with big-ticket prizes, the launch lands alongside a nationwide marketing campaign.

The Deal or No Deal Scratchcard is under licence from Scientific Games, LLC and is the first licensed National Lottery Scratchcard in more than five years. Players have a chance to win one of four top prizes of £1.5 million, and a 1 in 3.49 chance of winning a prize.

This new Scratchcard matches the National Lottery brand with the unique tension and excitement of Deal or No Deal. Naturally, The Banker is at the heart of the campaign, inviting players to “take the hot seat” and decide whether they want to deal… or not.

Over February and March, Allwyn will promote the new Scratchcard with a broad suite of launch activations to drive strong engagement and sales.

This will comprise a nationwide multichannel marketing campaign, including digital display, paid and organic social, audio activations, out-of-home, plus a striking Euston station platform takeover on the Transport for London network.

Retail stores will feature a full range of National Lottery point-of-sale materials, such as flash and arrow dispensers, tax disc/wing assets, media, kiosk and front-of-store (FOS) screens, bunting and FOS standees.

Steve Parkinson, Marketing and Brand Director at Allwyn said: “Deal or No Deal is one of the UK’s most recognisable game shows, and it’s a perfect fit for our Scratchcard range. This new game blends all the tension, drama and fun of the show with the instant thrill of a Scratchcard, creating a compelling experience for both loyal National Lottery players and new audiences.

“And, as always, every time someone plays a National Lottery game, they help contribute to the £32 million raised every week for UK Good Causes.”

Deal or No Deal © 2003 – 2026 Banijay Entertainment.  Deal or No Deal is a registered trademark of Endemol Shine IP B.V., a Banijay Company.  Used with permission.  All rights reserved. 

The post Allwyn launches the £5 Deal or No Deal National Lottery Scratchcard first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

This newly created role reflects Allwyn’s renewed focus on accelerating performance in its retail channel by ensuring growth, innovation, and execution remain tightly connected. All this while championing the vital role retailers play at the heart of communities across the UK’s high streets.

Bridget will take over from Jenny Blogg, Operations Director, who will leave the business in early spring to pursue an external opportunity.

Bringing over 25 years’ experience as a consumer-focused leader, Bridget is renowned for redefining customer experiences and pushing the boundaries of retail innovation. Her impressive career spans senior executive and board-level roles across Food, Clothing, Home, Telecoms, Technology, and Social Media, including positions at Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, O2, BT Group, and most recently Snap.

With a passion for consumer engagement and a proven track record of driving digital transformation and omnichannel strategies, Bridget will spearhead initiatives to create relevant growth opportunities and strengthen partnerships with National Lottery retailers across the UK. These efforts will be central to the ongoing transformation of The National Lottery, which will gather momentum in 2026, enabling Allwyn to offer more engaging ways to play and raise even more money for Good Causes.

Reporting into Bridget in new roles will be Alison Acquaye-Acford (Retail Revenue & Customer Director), James Dunbar (Retail Strategy & Operations Director) and Emma Hubbard (Head of Retail Delivery).

Andria Vidler, CEO of Allwyn UK said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Bridget to Allwyn. Her extensive experience in retail innovation and digital transformation will be instrumental as we continue to transform this wonderful British institution and deliver even more for National Lottery Good Causes.

“Bridget’s leadership will help us provide an exceptional service to our 43,500 retail partners and millions of National Lottery players across the UK.

“We’d like to wish Jenny every success in her future endeavours and thank her for her significant contribution to Allwyn and The National Lottery during her time with us.”

Bridget Lea added: “I’m excited to join Allwyn at such a pivotal time for The National Lottery. Retailers play a vital role in communities nationwide, and I look forward to working with our partners to create modern, engaging experiences that delight players and support the ongoing transformation of The National Lottery.”

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It also confirmed the return of its popular ‘Big Thank You’ giveaway, following its successful summer debut, to thank retailers for their ongoing support.

Running from 1^st to 14^th December, the ‘Big Thank You’ will reward 40 lucky independent retailers with the choice of seven incredible prize options – including a Eurostar city break, Michelin Star culinary experience, and cricket hospitality.

This year’s festive draw line-up includes a £15 million Lotto ‘Must Be Won’ draw on Christmas Eve, supported by a nationwide advertising campaign across TV, press, online, and digital billboards from 18^th December. Retailers could see Lotto sales boosted by up to 178%* for the draw and are advised to site POS prominently from 15^th December and suggest tickets to customers.

The celebrations continue into the New Year with the EuroMillions 10 UK Millionaires draw on 2^nd January, backed by in-store POS from 25^th December. Retailers could see a 145%** uplift in EuroMillions sales and are encouraged to keep playslips topped up and Scratchcard dispensers full to maximise sales opportunities.

Scratchcards remain a key driver of in-store footfall, and Allwyn’s £7 million media campaign across November and December – featuring the playful new ‘Scratchcard-igans’ creative with Olympian Tom Daley – is designed to bring festive fun to retail. With Scratchcards exclusively available in-store, retailers are perfectly placed to benefit from the campaign’s reach and appeal.

There’s also a boosted rewards opportunity in December for National Lottery retailers, where they can earn a £30 reward instead of £10 for the month by uploading pictures of the festive POS on https://tnlpartners.co.uk.

Moreover, Allwyn has signed up to the National Council on Problem Gambling’s 2025 Gift Responsibly Campaign as a Level 3 sponsor – the highest level and a UK National Lottery first. The campaign raises awareness about the risks of youth gambling and reminds people that National Lottery products are for adults only.

As part of its commitment, Allwyn will feature the ‘18+ Gift Responsibly’ mark across festive gifting ads and is encouraging retailers to share the message with customers. This builds on Allwyn’s existing and extensive safeguards, including retailer training and its rigorous Operation Guardian mystery shopping programme, which helps prevent underage and excessive play.

Alison Acquaye-Acford, Director of Commercial Partnerships and Retail Sales at Allwyn said: “Retailers are central to our festive plans, with exclusive Scratchcards and three major event draws creating a huge opportunity to boost sales and spread some cheer.

“We’re urging them to make the most of POS, talk to customers about the draws, and join the fun of our Scratchcard-igans campaign. And with the return of our ‘Big Thank You’ prize giveaway from 1^st December, there’s even more reason to get involved and win incredible rewards. It’s the perfect way to end 2025 and kick off 2026 – for retailers, players, and the Good Causes they help support.”

To enter the ‘Big Thank You’, retailers simply need to log on to the TNL Partners Hub (https://tnlpartners.co.uk), visit the News Section, and complete the entry form before 11pm on Sunday 14^th December. The full list of prize options includes:

• Cricket hospitality tickets at the Oval or Edgbaston, including accommodation and travel allowance
• Tickets for Chesterton’s Polo in the Park at the Hurlingham Club, including accommodation and travel allowance
• Return Eurostar Plus tickets for two adults to Paris or Amsterdam, including accommodation, food, travel and excursion allowances
• A Michelin Star dining experience for four adults, including accommodation and travel allowance
• A home and garden bundle, including an Ooni outdoor pizza oven, Solo stove smokeless fire pit, Weber BBQ and Kettler Kalos Copper Floor Standing Patio Heater
• A home entertainment bundle, including a smart TV, soundbar, gaming chair and more
• A sport and fitness bundle, including a Mirafit home gym bundle, Garmin watch and membership, Apple AirPods and more

*Based on 25 Dec 2024 ‘Must Be Won’ draw sales vs base draw sales 11 Dec 2024 

 **Based on 31 Dec 2024 10 UK Millionaires draw vs base draw on 8 Oct 2024 

The post National Lottery retailers ready to unwrap festive sales boost and another ‘Big Thank You’ from Allwyn first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

This marks the halfway point in Allwyn’s scale rollout of the new machines, which will modernise and improve The National Lottery in-store experience for retailers and players alike.

Shop owners and staff are continuing to respond enthusiastically to the new terminals – which are replacing legacy machines dating back to 2009 – with the new technology making an immediate difference to their businesses and customers.

The new machines offer retailers a significant upgrade to the previous technology, including:

• A high-speed processor for faster transactions
• A larger, tilt-adjustable LCD screen
• Wireless 1D barcode and 2D code scanners
• A versatile play slip reader that can be fed both horizontally and vertically
• Enhanced functionality, including improved reporting and the ability to update National Lottery Fast Pay cards

Allwyn’s Director of Operations, Jenny Blogg said: “Our wide-ranging transformation of The National Lottery continues at pace, with thousands of Wave terminals being installed every week.

“We’ve now invested more than £400m upgrading The National Lottery’s outdated operations and technology. Not only is this generating a hugely positive response from our retail partners, but it stands us in good stead to deliver on the exciting plans we have for new games, a better player experience, and a commitment to double returns to Good Causes from £30m to £60m every week by the end of our 10-year licence.”

The rollout is part of Allwyn’s broader strategy to overhaul The National Lottery to ensure it delivers even more for its millions of players, tens of thousands of retail partners, and hundreds of Good Cause projects in every postcode district right across the UK.

The post Allwyn hits halfway milestone in Wave terminal scale rollout first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The slogan, along with the giant gold hand, has not been seen on screens together for more than 26 years. They have been reimagined to reach new audiences to support the nation’s millionaire-making game, Lotto.

As The National Lottery’s flagship game, Lotto has created over 3,500 millionaires since the first draw in November 1994. Allwyn, the operator of The National Lottery, will be using the ad to showcase real people winning and support an optimistic nation that is longing for a bit of hope and ‘what if’ belief moments. The campaign features real Lotto millionaire winners from across the years in cameo roles declaring “We won, and you could too!”.

The winners include Sarah Cockings from Newcastle who won £3,045,705 at age 21. Also featured are Chris and Geraldine Bradley from South Wales who were part of a family syndicate with grandfather, Bob, and father, Barry, and shared a £3,570,063 win in 2006. The campaign also sees an appearance from Gary MacDonald, who drove a delivery van round Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex before he scooped the £5,208,504 jackpot in April this year and took early retirement.

The campaign supports a study of more than 2,500 people by The National Lottery that Britons would like more hope in their lives and that we are, at heart, a nation of believers.  They have found that 98% of people say that as a nation we could all do with a bit of hope right now. A further 89% of Brits have their fingers crossed for something good to happen, with 41% hoping to win the Lotto.

Underlining how we are a nation of optimists, the majority of public (53%) consider themselves to be lucky, with 72% believing that being positive or hopeful can change the outcome of events. While 40% of the nation don’t believe they are lucky, 61% of people do feel most optimistic when they have something to look forward to.

Steve Parkinson, Brand & Marketing Director at Allwyn UK, operator of The National Lottery said: “The original tagline ‘It Could Be You’ has always struck a chord with our players and it has never left us. We know our players still use the phrase when they buy tickets and enter the draw and there is a great amount of nostalgia attached to it.

‘We are at heart a nation of optimists who want to imagine what might be possible’

“But there’s also a new generation of players that want those ‘what if’ magic moments that Lotto provides. People win Lotto week in, week out, and we all have a chance if we buy a ticket. We wanted to embrace that and involve some of the real winners from across the years to demonstrate that anyone can win.”

The ‘It Could Be You’ advertisement was used to launch the nation’s very first National Lottery game and the tagline became instantly recognisable. It was coupled with a giant pointing hand descending dramatically from the sky indicating that anyone could win.

“’It Could Be You’ confidently taps into The National Lottery’s history of changing lives, but it also comes at a moment where the British public have been telling us they’d love a bit of more hope in their life. We are at heart a nation of optimists who want to imagine what might be possible,” added Steve.

“’It Could Be You’ has always sparked people’s imaginations and underpinned the magic of winning. Since it started, Lotto has created over 3,500 millionaires and continues to offer huge jackpot prizes in every draw. We all hope and dream that it could be us one day and this campaign aims to get the nation talking about what they would do if it was them next!”

The advert was directed by celebrated commercial director Dave Meyers, who has also shot music videos for the likes of Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Harry Styles, Kendrick Lemar, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion.

The advert was broadcast on TV first on Monday 1^st September with a peak Coronation Street slot. There is a new refreshed look and feel to the Lotto game. September’s Lotto Must Be Won event of a £15m jackpot on Saturday 13^th September is being supported by the new branding and is on the point of sale that is heading to retail stores from 1^st September.

The post National Lottery reimagines famous strapline for a new generation first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.