NATIONAL LOTTERY TERMINALS BLOCKED ON BILL PAYMENTS

Thomas Sharpe QC and Matthew Cook acted for Paypoint Plc in proceedings before the National Lottery Commission (“NLC”) resisting an application by Camelot, the monopoly National Lottery licensee, for permission to use its National Lottery infrastructure to enter the payment services market, on grounds that this would constitute an unlawful leveraging of Camelot’s dominant position in the lottery market into payment services, contrary to Article 102 of the TFEU. The NLC accepted these submissions and rejected Camelot’s application on 2 March 2011.