National lottery operator Allwyn has officially begun deploying over 30,000 new Wave lottery terminals nationwide, fully replacing the Altura machines used since 2009. This project is known as the largest technological upgrade in the history of the national lottery, aiming to enhance the operational efficiency of retailers and the player experience.
The new Wave terminals are equipped with advanced hardware and features: high-speed processors, larger and adjustable LCD screens, wireless barcode scanners, and upgraded betting slip readers that support both horizontal and vertical paper feed. The terminals also provide retailers with improved reporting functions and allow for the modification of national lottery fast payment card numbers, optimizing daily operations.
In fact, as early as the beginning of 2025, about 8,000 retailers had already switched to Wave terminals, mainly concentrated in stores previously using compact lottery terminals (CLT). These terminals operated on different systems, connecting with the current nationwide upgrade.
The technological transformation was concentrated from August 2 to August 4, involving the launch of over 30 new technological systems, the rebuilding of the backend gaming platform, the establishment of a new retail network provided by Vodafone, and the system migration of millions of transactions and retailer records. With this milestone completed, Allwyn began the nationwide terminal replacement plan on August 11.
According to the plan, the company will replace nearly 4,000 Altura machines by the end of August and will install on a large scale weekly across all UK postal code areas from September, ultimately covering over 30,000 retail outlets.
Allwyn's Chief Operating Officer Jenny Blogg stated that the company has invested over 350 million pounds (approximately 471 million US dollars) in this modernization, supporting not only the launch of new games but also improving the overall player experience. Allwyn commits to increasing its weekly contributions to charitable causes from the current 30 million pounds to 60 million pounds by the end of its 10-year operating license.
This technological upgrade is conducted in parallel with broader organizational changes. In July this year, the company announced that Wayne Pickup, CEO of North America, would leave after eight years in office. Additionally, Allwyn secured a 2.15 billion euros (2.5 billion US dollars) syndicated credit facility to support future growth strategies and refinance existing debts.
