Allwyn is marking 30 years of National Lottery Scratchcards with a limited-edition “Scratch-Coin” giveaway at 10 selected UK retail partners. The coins will be available from Saturday, 23 May, on a first-come, first-served basis while stocks last.

The operator said each of the 10 “gold standard” retailers will receive 500 coins to hand out with any National Lottery Scratchcard purchase, including the new “£300,000 Birthday” Scratchcard. Allwyn said the card is priced at £2 and offers an overall 1 in 3.33 chance of winning, with a top prize of £300,000.

The Scratch-Coin was created in collaboration with artist and illustrator Hattie Stewart. The 10 participating retailers are: Go Local – 380 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow; Costcutter – 96–98 Bristol Street, Birmingham; Houghton & Wyton Community Shop – The Green, Houghton; New Southgate Food Centre – 137–141 High Road, London; Victoria Wine & Spiritz – 213–215 Scraptoft Lane, Leicester; Your Store – 11 Burwash Road, Brighton & Hove; Nisa Sevenways – 218 Derbyshire Lane West, Manchester; S And M Stores – 141 Southbank Road, Coventry; NASDA Stores – 9 The Street, Rayne, Braintree; and Jules Convenience (Premier) – 83-85 Haybridge Road, Telford.

Karl Southworth, Head of Field Sales at Allwyn, said: “As we celebrate 30 years of National Lottery Scratchcards, we wanted to create a fun, engaging moment that not only rewards our standout retail partners but also helps generate excitement and drive footfall. These ‘Scratch-coins’ are a brilliant way to recognise a small group of our ‘gold standard’ retailers, who consistently go above and beyond in bringing The National Lottery to life in their local communities.

“That being said, we’re incredibly proud of our entire retail network — every one of our 43,500 partners plays a vital role in helping raise £33m for National Lottery-funded projects every week.” Stewart added: “Scratching is such a satisfying ritual. It’s about anticipation, excitement and that little moment of hope. I love that even now, people get creative with it when they don’t have a coin to hand, using keys, cards, rings, even their fingernails, but nothing quite beats doing it properly. I wanted the coin to feel fun, celebratory and full of personality.”

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On 17 April 2026, the UK High Court rejected in full the claims brought by The New Lottery Company Limited (TNLC) and Northern & Shell PLC (N&S) against the Gambling Commission in relation to the award of the Fourth National Lottery Licence.

In summary, the claims alleged that the Gambling Commission had wrongly awarded the Fourth National Lottery Licence to Allwyn, and that instead, TNLC should have won the competition. The claims also alleged that the Gambling Commission and Allwyn had entered into impermissible modifications to the Licence arrangements following the competition.

The lengthy trial of the claims took place in the High Court before Mrs Justice Joanna Smith between 9 October and 2 December 2025, with an additional day on 13 January 2026.

The High Court has now ruled in favour of the Gambling Commission on all of the claims, rejecting the allegations which had been made.

This is an important judgment for the future of The National Lottery. This judgment makes clear that the Gambling Commission ran a fair and robust competition to award the Fourth National Lottery Licence, and that none of the contested changes to the Licence, in the course of its implementation, were substantial or contrary to the relevant procurement regulations.

The judgment gives resounding support to Good Causes by enabling Allwyn, with oversight from the Commission, to continue with their plans of investment in The National Lottery without further distraction.

The National Lottery is one of the world’s largest lotteries and since launching in 1994, National Lottery players have collectively raised more than £52 billion for more than 670,000 Good Causes across the UK, transforming lives and contributing to the arts, sport, heritage and communities.

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Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, will introduce a new two-round Lotto format from 7 June and plans to launch a UK-specific version of Powerball later this summer, subject to final regulatory approval.

From 7 June, each £2 Lotto line will include two rounds per draw, giving players “two chances to win” from a single line. Allwyn said the change improves the odds of winning any prize from 1-in-9.3 to 1-in-4.9. Tickets go on sale on Sunday 7 June, with the first draw on Wednesday 10 June, continuing on Wednesdays and Saturdays at around 8pm. Two sets of six main balls and a Bonus Ball will be drawn using two separate draw machines.

Allwyn said the updated format is expected to increase the number of Lotto millionaires from around 140 a year to around 345. Lotto jackpots will continue to start at £2m and can roll over up to five times before a must-be-won event on the sixth consecutive draw. The £1m fixed prize for matching five main numbers plus the Bonus Ball remains, while the jackpot for matching six main numbers is shared across both rounds. The Lotto HotPicks add-on will also move to the two-round format and will remain priced at £1.

Powerball will be introduced in the UK in partnership with the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). Allwyn said the UK version will be priced at £4 per line and will offer access to a “shared jackpot” with US participants, with UK jackpot winners paid out over 30 years. UK draws will align with the existing Powerball schedule, with ticket sales closing at 11.55pm the night before draws on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and draw results produced from the Powerball studio in Florida at around 4am on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Allwyn CEO, Andria Vidler, said, “We are delivering on our promise to bring more games, more entertainment and more innovation to The National Lottery. With extensive upgrades to our digital and retail channels now complete, we have a fantastic summer lined up, as we are now able to bring these exciting new games to our players.” She added that Allwyn’s goal is “doubling weekly returns to Good Causes from £30m to £60m by 2034, with £33m a week currently raised.”

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