UK National Lottery operator to sponsor Team GB

Camelot will sponsor Britain’s Olympic team and Paralympics squad at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

UK.- The UK National Lottery operator Camelot has signed an agreement to become an official partner of ParalympicsGB and an official supporter of Team GB.

The agreement comes ahead of this summer’s rearranged Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The games were due to take place last summer but were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

For the moment, both events remain scheduled to take place in the Japanese capital this summer.

Under the agreement, Camelot will provide funding from National Lottery ticket sales to help pay for the Covid-19 safety measures that are required for athletes to be able to take part.

That will include a range of hygiene technologies, a comprehensive Covid-19 testing programme and Covid-secure transport.

Camelot, Team GB and ParalympicsGB will also help to deliver an “Everyday Wellness” programme for Camelot’s 1,000 employees, promoting a healthy work-life balance. 

Camelot is competing to retain its licence to run the National Lottery for a fourth consecutive period from 2023, facing competition from the Czech Republic’s Sazka Group and India’s Sugal & Damani.

The National Lottery has a long relationship with British Olympic and Paralympic sport, having contributed more than £2.8bn in funding since the lottery’s launch in 1996.

British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Anson said: “The support of Camelot is timely in ensuring that we’re able to maintain the world-class environment for our athletes in Tokyo whilst incorporating the vital additional infrastructure to make sure our facilities are Covid-secure for our athletes and to allow them to reach the ‘start line’ in the best possible condition.” 

Camelot chief executive Nigel Railton said: “Throughout the pandemic, the safety and wellbeing of our employees has been our number one priority – so it seems fitting that this partnership will not only help ensure that the nation’s athletes are met with Covid-secure environments as they prepare for the Games, but will also give our employees further opportunity to be at their best every day.”