Lottery shake-up to break monopoly

A huge shake-up of the way the National Lottery licence is awarded is to be recommended by MPs.

Measures to make it easier for companies to bid against Camelot are laid out by the Culture Select Committee.

Its report tomorrow reflects concern that the cost of bidding for the next licence from 2009 will hand Camelot an effective "monopoly in perpetuity".

One suggestion is a second lottery licence so two or more operators can compete against each other with rival games.

The regulatory National Lottery Commission wants this when it sets rules for the next licence round in two years' time. Camelot describes it as "a serious threat to the money raised for good causes".

Critics say Camelot's long tenure has made it uncompetitive and complacent.