Health Lottery owner and former newspaper baron Richard Desmond is to take the Gambling Commission to court over his failed bid to run the National Lottery. 

Northern & Shell, the previous owner of the Express, claims there were flaws in the Gambling Commission’s bid assessment, and is seeking up to £200m in damages.

In the background at the time, the New Lottery Company and Northern and Shell, which took part in the competition but were ruled out in phase one, filed a claim to the court in April 2022.

When the Camelot case went to court, Desmond’s businesses did not attend any hearings but it did have legal representative, law firm BCLP, in court watching the proceedings. His businesses were not involved in the Camelot case which proceeded to the High Court.