Camelot Illinois Files Protest Against Illinois Lottery Private Manager Selection Process

Camelot Cites Noncompetitive Bid, Unequal Access to Information Among Factors That Contributed to Unfair Process

CHICAGO, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Camelot Illinois today filed a formal protest with the Illinois Department of Revenue regarding the process of selecting a private manager of the Illinois Lottery and the selection of Northstar Lottery as the private manager.  

"Camelot Illinois believes that the Department of Revenue's process for selecting the private manager breached the Lottery Law passed last year by the General Assembly, as well as competitive bid procedures," said Dianne Thompson, chief executive officer for Camelot. "With our protest, we hope the State will recognize that a competitive bid process was not honored here, and that only a truly competitive process can maximize the Lottery's long term value for the State of Illinois. We request that the State stay the selection of Northstar Lottery as private manager and reopen the bidding process and this time administer a bid process that is truly equitable and transparent."

Camelot Illinois' protest letter outlines several breaches made against Illinois Lottery Law, Procurement Law and the Department's Request for Proposal. These breaches include the failure of the bidding process to create a competitive environment, the bidding process being unevenly skewed towards the existing vendors of the lottery and unequal access to information by bidders. These points have all been raised in detail with both the Transaction Advisors and the Department of Revenue during the bid process and subsequently in Camelot's protest.

About Camelot Group

Camelot has managed the U.K. National Lottery since 1994, delivering consistent growth and returning a higher percentage of Lottery revenue back to society than any other major lottery operator in the world, generating more than $37.5 billion for good causes since its inception. Camelot is also currently consulting for the California State Lottery – a collaboration that has already brought immediate benefits through increased sales and a boost in returns to the State and its Education Fund to the tune of $2.25 billion in sales and $780 million in incremental profits over the next three years.

SOURCE Camelot Illinois