National Lottery - the draw for the draw

Sir Richard Branson has bowed out of the battled to run the National Lottery. BBC News Online looks back at the events leading up to his decision.

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January 10th 2000

Sir Richard Branson says he is bowing out gracefully

Sir Richard Branson decides not to proceed with a legal challenge to the Lottery Commission's decision to award the UK's National Lottery to Camelot. He fears that a successful judicial challenge could damage confidence in the Lottery.

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December 2000

Sir Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson says he will decide in the New Year whether to contest the reselection of Camelot to run the National Lottery for another seven years. UK Culture Secretary Chris Smith indicates that he is unhappy with the process for deciding which company should run the National Lottery.

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December 19th 2000

Lord Burns, Chairman of the Lottery Commission

Camelot is awarded the licence to run the National Lottery for a further seven years instead of Sir Richard Branson's People's Lottery. Chairman of the Lottery Commission Lord Burns appears to have changed the minds of his other commissioners.

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December 18th 2000

Camelot's Dianne Thompson outside the High Court

A meeting to decide who will run the National Lottery for the next seven years continues for hours longer than expected after a top-level team said they needed more time to reach a decision.

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August 2000

Branson's People's Lottery promises razzamatazz

Four months ago the National Lottery Commission failed to choose a winner between Camelot and Sir Richard Branson's People's Lottery, fuelling speculation that whoever took over would not have time to get important infrastructure in place.

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November 1994

One of the first lottery winners, Ken Southwell

Back in 1994 the UK's first lottery winners were being announced and the spectacle of instant riches gripped an eager public, with players nationwide itching to say "It won't change me".

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May 1994

Filling in a lottery ticket

Earlier that year Camelot were granted the UK licence, beating a consortium run by Sir Richard Branson and Lord Young. There was controversy at the time that the licence had been won by a profit making company.

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