Allwyn UK has initiated a restructuring of its retail operations, appointing Bridget Lea as Managing Director of Retail to oversee a newly created team.
Lea and her team will be tasked with overseeing and accelerating the performance of Allwyn’s retail channels and systems, a crucial undertaking given its stewardship of the UK National Lottery.
The retail team will consist of Alison Acquaye-Acford as Retail Revenue and Customer Director, James Dunbar as Retail Strategy and Operations Director, and Emma Hubbard as Head of Retail Delivery.
Lea’s hiring comes just under two years after Allwyn took on stewardship of the National Lottery as holder of the fourth 10 year National Lottery licence. The firm won the tender contest back in 2022, unseating Camelot, the sole operator of the National Lottery since its inception in 1994.
Prior to joining Allwyn, Lea has held board-level and executive roles at companies like Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, O2, BT Group and Snap. As head of the revamped retail team, Lea is tasked with strengthening partnerships with National Lottery retailers and seizing growth opportunities.
“I’m excited to join Allwyn at such a pivotal time for The National Lottery,” said Lea.
“Retailers play a vital role in communities nationwide, and I look forward to working with our partners to create modern, engaging experiences that delight players and support the ongoing transformation of The National Lottery.”
Lottery remains resolute
As with other aspects of the gaming industry, whether in the UK or elsewhere, the National Lottery has become increasingly digitised. The lottery has had an iPhone app since 2010 and an android app since 2014, launched under Camelot’s management.
Despite this, retail remains a core vertical for the lottery. Hammering this home, results from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) published in October 2025 showed that the number of people participating in in person gambling in the past four (at the time of being asked) fell from 48% to 28% when the National Lottery was excluded.
Stats for April to July 2025 show a similar picture, with the National Lottery the lead product for in-person gambling participation. The Commission found that buying tickets for a National Lottery draw was the most popular at 15%, followed by National Lottery scratchcards at 12%.
Lea also joins Allwyn following a retail revamp of the National Lottery, with a huge technological upgrade initiated between 2-4 August in partnership with lottery technology supper Scientific Games.
Finally, her addition to Allwyn’s senior UK time comes at a significant time for parent Allwyn International having secured status as the world’s largest listed lottery company and second largest listed gambling company via the takeover of PrizePicks and merger with OPAP last year.
Andria Vidler, CEO of Allwyn UK, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Bridget to Allwyn. Her extensive experience in retail innovation and digital transformation will be instrumental as we continue to transform this wonderful British institution and deliver even more for National Lottery Good Causes.
“Bridget’s leadership will help us provide an exceptional service to our 43,500 retail partners and millions of National Lottery players across the UK. We’d like to wish Jenny every success in her future endeavours and thank her for her significant contribution to Allwyn and The National Lottery during her time with us.”