The UKGC is allegedly meeting ex-porn baron Richard Desmond and may pay him £200m to settle his National Lottery lawsuit. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

To the likely consternation of the UK Gambling Commission, the regulator is making the headlines for allegedly meeting in secret with a controversial individual to settle a gambling-related lawsuit. 

clandestinely meeting with ex-porn baron Richard Desmond

The Telegraph reported that the UKGC is this week clandestinely meeting with representatives of billionaire ex-porn baron Richard Desmond to end a long-running legal battle over the National Lottery succession. 

The regulator is meeting with Desmond’s Northern & Shell, with reports the UKGC is prepared to pay £200m ($255m) to end the suit launched by one of the ex-porn mogul’s subsidiaries when Allwyn secured the contract to run the lottery at the expense of Camelot.

Desmond’s London-based publishing group Northern & Shell owns the UK’s Health Lottery.

The UKGC fielded a series of lawsuits over awarding Allwyn the lottery license, including from Camelot, co-owners International Game Technology, and Desmond’s sub-brand, the New Lottery Company.

While Allwyn removed Camelot’s legal challenge by simply buying the firm from Canadian parent the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Fund, and IGT dismissed its appeal, the ex-porn mags and phone sex kingpin, who also once owned Channel 5 TV and UK tabloids The Daily Star and Express newspapers, has proved a more dogged adversary.