Allwyn International has wrapped up a busy week by announcing back-to-back sponsorships with Formula 1 and the McLaren F1 Racing Team.

These deals are hailed as a “seismic move” to amplify Allwyn’s global ambitions and brand exposure to worldwide audiences, joining the F1 sponsorship grid alongside DHL, Heineken, Lenovo, Pirelli, Qatar Airways, Salesforce, and Amazon AWS.

Robert Chvátal: Allwyn

The partnerships carry the utmost significance for Group CEO, Robert Chvátal, who during his 13-year tenure has witnessed the transformation of the single-market SAZKA into Allwyn International – operating as  the biggest lottery conglomerate, active across seven jurisdictions.

Speaking to SBC, Chvátal states: “What is remarkable about Allwyn is that its international expansion is driven by its management of national lotteries and its commitment to raising funds for good causes.”

Similar to F1, Allwyn operates at a high-bar, requiring deep investments in resources, technology, and engineering to fulfil its “lottery contracts which are not negotiated but won”, Chvátal underlines. The CEO believes that Allwyn cannot be categorised alongside other gaming-related incumbents because of these qualities.

This belief underpins the rationale behind the F1 and McLaren Racing partnerships, as Allwyn sees a shared ambition of “growing through teamwork, fostering a sense of community, and being underpinned by the value of safety.”

“This approach is why we have a global ambition and have become the operator of choice for governments to run their national lotteries.”

The timing of these sponsorships is crucial in showcasing Allwyn’s transformation, as the conglomerate now manages the stewardship of the UK National Lottery, Lotto Italia, Austria’s Lotterien, and the SAZKA lottery of the Czech Republic.

At the boardroom level, careful consideration was given to how Allwyn would promote its global brand  via a strategic partnership that could match its ambitions. Ultimately, the F1 opportunity was deemed the optimal choice to elevate the Allwyn brand to a global audience.

“We considered many factors, but undoubtedly, F1 presented the best platform for us,” Chvátal continues.

“In the past five years, F1 has transformed itself into the world’s biggest fan-driven sport. This is evident in its ability to attract over 750 million viewers across 24 Grand Prix races each season and in its social media following, which has grown to 96 million fans.”

While F1’s metrics on paper are impressive, Chvátal emphasises: “The reach is dynamic. F1 is not a stagnant sport and has successfully expanded its audience – 42% of which is now female fans.”

Beyond the numbers, Chvátal refuses to rely on “marketing jargon to validate the sponsorships,” asserting that the decision was made as a global group initiative and will not be tied to local markets, including the UK.

“This is an Allwyn group sponsorship, meaning it will not be linked to local National Lottery brands like OPAP in Greece or SAZKA in the Czech Republic. I think our markets understand that. Our collaboration with McLaren and F1 is a shared venture, so let’s drive to thrive.”

 When asked why Allwyn decided to sponsor McLaren Racing in addition to F1, Chvátal explained: “We were with them in Abu Dhabi, and it was a privilege to witness McLaren winning the Constructors’ Title – an incredible achievement, given that they hadn’t won it in over a decade.”

That moment led Allwyn to rethink its sponsorship strategy, ultimately deciding to double its coverage. The company envisioned “seeing the Allwyn brand on trackside banners with F1 and on the starting grid and paddock with McLaren”.

Chvátal even teased the idea that F1 might allow”the five-second race countdown to feature Allwyn lottery balls”. When questioned about McLaren’s car design where Allwyn will appear alongside sponsors such as Chrome, Dell, OKX, and Android, Chvátal remarks “we’ve had our input, and we are very happy”.

For now, Allwyn must keep tight-lipped on its brand aesthetics with McLaren, until the official unveiling of all F1 cars at London’s ExCeL next week. Chvátal simply concluded: “It’s a beautiful car — you can put me on record for that.”

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