Camelot wins support for Lottery database

National Lottery regulator John Stoker has given provisional backing to a scheme devised by the licence holder Camelot which aims to build a database of personal information on 10 million National Lottery players.

Camelot has appointed direct marketing agency Tequila Option One to work on the database project, which could include the launch of a smartcard programmed with regular numbers, and is designed to increase the frequency of play.

An Oflot spokeswoman comments: “Camelot has not come forward with an application for this – it would need our permission. But we are aware of it, the operator liaises with us over its ideas. One of the director general’s duties is to protect players’ interests and confidentiality.”

The fact that Camelot has gone ahead with appointing an agency indicates that Oflot has given its approval in principle to the plan.

Stoker is in charge of Oflot until a permanent replacement is found for director general Peter Davis, who resigned last week in the wake of the Branson libel affair.

Stoker is investigating moves taken by Camelot to distance itself from Guy Snowden, the former chairman of G-Tech who attempted to bribe Branson and resigned in disgrace after he lost a libel action.