High Court awards full indemnity costs in £1.3 billion National Lottery litigation

Press releases | 28 May 2026

28 May, London – On 17 April 2026, the High Court (Mrs Justice Joanna Smith DBE) rejected in full the procurement claims brought by The New Lottery Company Limited and Northern & Shell PLC (TNLC) concerning the award and implementation of the Fourth UK National Lottery Licence.

On 22 May 2026, the High Court went on to refuse TNLC permission to appeal and order that the Gambling Commission’s costs of the entire two-year proceedings be paid by TNLC on the indemnity basis. The Court also ordered TNLC to make a payment on account of 75% to the Gambling Commission.

The April judgment is available here. The costs order has been reported in the press.

Pending any appeal, the order brings an end to the first instance proceedings in which damages of up to £1.3 billion were sought. This is a significant milestone in Hogan Lovells support throughout the successful award process for the National Lottery, the UK’s largest public sector contract (c. £70bn over 10 years), which was described in court as “the most financially significant procurement process in UK history”.

Hogan Lovells acted for the Gambling Commission.