Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, has moved to the next stage of its wide-ranging transformation plan: the scale delivery and installation of over 30,000 new Wave lottery terminals to retail partners that currently use Altura machines. The rollout immediately follows the successful completion of its largest-ever technical upgrade since the inception of The National Lottery in 1994.

The Wave terminals contain state-of-the-art technology that benefits both retailers and National Lottery players. The sleek machines feature a high-speed processor that ensures faster transactions, a bigger and tilt-adjustable LCD screen, wireless 1D barcode and 2D code scanners, and a play slip reader that can be fed both horizontally and vertically. They also provide retailers with more functionality, including enhanced reporting features and the ability to change numbers on National Lottery Fast Pay cards.

In the first half of 2025, around 8,000 retailers received their new Wave terminal – the majority of which were retailers which previously had Compact Lottery Terminals (CLTs). This was before The National Lottery technical upgrade that took place from 2-4 August, as the CLTs worked on a different operating system from the one being installed across the entire UK network.  

The early-August tech upgrades included the delivery of more than 30 new technology systems, a completely rebuilt back-end gaming platform, a new in-store network provided by Vodafone, and the migration of tens of thousands of retailer records and millions of transactions from legacy systems dating back to 2009.  

With the conclusion of the largest and most complex lottery systems updates in history, a complete, national rollout of Wave terminals commenced on 11 August to the remainder of the legacy Altura terminal estate. While these machines work with the upgraded software, Allwyn always planned to replace Alturas with Wave machines over the coming months, as most of the legacy terminals date back to 2009.  

By the end of August, nearly 4,000 retailers will have their Altura replaced with a Wave terminal. From September, Allwyn is aiming to install thousands of Wave machines a week at National Lottery retailers in every postcode district of the UK.

Allwyn’s Director of Operations, Jenny Blogg, said: “This is another massive undertaking from Allwyn as we deliver generational change to The National Lottery. We have invested more than £350 million in a comprehensive plan to transform The National Lottery, substantially improving its operations and technology. These will support exciting plans we have for new games, a better player experience, and a commitment to double returns to Good Causes from £30m to £60m every week by the end of our 10-year licence.

“Over the coming months, our team will be delivering and installing thousands of Wave machines every week. We understand the importance of this new technology in enhancing the in-store experience for both retailers and their customers. We are thrilled at the highly encouraging feedback we have received for the new Wave machines.”

National Lottery retailers from across the UK that have had their Alturas replaced with Wave machines have spoken positively about the new technology and the difference it is making to their businesses and customers.

Karen McDonnell of Centra in Bangor, said: “The new Wave terminal looks great, and I’m pleased with the fact that it seems to be much faster and quicker to respond. The new layout makes the Lucky Dip ticket transactions even quicker, and I really like the wireless scanner.”

Stephen Harrison of Nisa in Belfast commented: “Having the new terminal in store has been amazing. It is so much more responsive and easier to use, which has been especially important to us as we recently had some PR around a millionaire made in store, so our store has been much busier selling those lucky tickets!”

Sunil Sethi of Raj's Off License and Mini Mart in Manchester claimed: “I think the new Wave terminal is much more user-friendly. The faster internet connection and navigation between sales and admin make it easy to use. The bigger till rolls are a benefit as we will not have to change them too often.”

Mandy Henry of Vivo in Belfast added: “I’m enjoying how our new Lottery terminal is high-speed and simple to use. I like the fact that you can see the transaction history, especially when scanning multiple winning Scratchcards. The design is also much more slimline and easier to keep clean.”

Sarah Walker of Go Local Extra in Bradford, said: “What I like about my new Wave terminal is that it’s both a lot faster than the old terminal and incredibly efficient.”

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