Camelot set to reveal Lottery gains

TELEVISION presenter Kirsty Gallacher has helped National Lottery operator Camelot boost sales for the second successive year. Advertising campaigns have hit the jackpot after Kirsty launched a service that allows people to play by texting on their mobile phones and actress Fay Ripley featured as Lady Luck.

Tomorrow, Camelot will report a rise in sales for the second year in a row to more than £4.7bn.

Sales for the year to the end of March are thought to be £100m higher than the previous year.

Chief executive Dianne Thompson, who was set to quit before Camelot began the process of bidding for a third licence next year, is now likely to stay, at least until a preferred bidder is picked in 2007.

Camelot has signed up the millionth player to its website while the interactive operation has seen sales rising to about £87m from £12m in the previous year.