Camelot bill payment defeat a blow to post offices

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/city-news/ ... -22962065/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

THE Post Office was dealt a major blow after missing out on a slice of a £175million money-spinner.

The National Lottery Commission yesterday rejected operator Camelot’s bid to use its terminals to process phone and energy bills.

The quango claimed that allowing the firm to expand beyond selling games MAY breach competition law.

The decision will deprive charities of £5m a year as Camelot would have given a share of the extra income to good causes.

But it will also starve post offices of vital revenue as they’d earn commission from handling payments.

Around 4,500 of the country’s 11,500 post office branches have National Lottery terminals and aren’t allowed to have machines owned by firms such as PayPoint, which dominate the bill payment market.

The deal would also have boosted sales of other products by pulling in extra punters. George Thompson, general secretary of the National Federation of Subpostmasters, branded the decision a “sad day” adding: “The result would have been highly beneficial to our treasured network.”

[fishtank]

Do we still own a share of con-alot?

[fishtank]

Do we still own a share of con-alot?

Forget i asked..it's now owned by a Canadian Teachers pension fund.