Allwyn, the British division of the European lottery and gaming behemoth Sazka Group, has appointed David Craven, a seasoned industry professional, as its new chief executive.
Craven will be spearheading Allwyn’s bid for the fourth UK National Lottery permit, collaborating with bid chairman Sir Keith Mills.
Craven joins Allwyn after a six-year tenure as managing director at the UK betting group Tote. He also served as the chief executive of gaming software firm World Gaming.
Craven also co-founded the digital media enterprise UPC/Chello earlier in his career and will bring substantial broadband and digital content services expertise to Allwyn.
“The National Lottery requires this now more than ever,” stated Craven. “In other markets across the Sazka Group, they have boosted foot traffic to the main street while making a genuine difference in local communities. That’s why the chance to become CEO of Allwyn, and hopefully CEO of the National Lottery, was an opportunity I couldn’t decline.
“Throughout my career in the worldwide gambling sector, I have always been focused on how technology can be utilized to enhance the customer experience, both in-store and online.”
This signifies not only making the game enjoyable and stimulating, but I firmly believe that technology is the most effective method to safeguard consumers.
Mills stated: “Any enterprise seeking to broaden its customer base must be capable of showcasing a reliable strategy to invest in and utilize the newest technology. David’s impressive history in software, broadband, and gaming grants him a thorough comprehension of this, which will offer another significant push to our application to operate the National Lottery.”
Craven’s appointment follows Allwyn’s recent recruitment of numerous high-profile consultants to support its license bid.
In addition to Mills, Allwyn last month included psychologist and professor of behavioral addiction Dr. Mark Griffiths, tech entrepreneur Brent Hoberman, former Universal Entertainment CEO Charles Garland, and Twitter UK managing director Dara Nasr to its advisory board.
Sazka declared its intention to compete for the National Lottery license last October, facing rivalry from Italian lottery operator Sisal and India’s Sugal & Damani. Current operator Camelot has also finished the Gambling Commission’s selection questionnaire, but has not yet revealed whether it will participate.
As part of this procedure, Sazka declared in April that it would be rebranding its UK operations under the new “Allwyn” name.