Camelot - Preferred Applicant

De La Rue PLC
19 December 2000



DE LA RUE PLC

CAMELOT NAMED AS 'PREFERRED APPLICANT' FOR 
SECOND NATIONAL LOTTERY LICENCE


De La Rue, the cash to secure transactions Group, is pleased to announce that
Camelot has been selected by The National Lottery Commission as the 'preferred
applicant' to operate the next National Lottery licence.  Camelot, which has
operated the UK lottery since 1994,  has been bidding against The People's
Lottery to operate the next seven year licence.
 
De La Rue has a shareholding of 26.66% in Camelot Group plc and is one of the
four current shareholders in the business, along with Cadbury Schweppes, Racal
Electronics and ICL.  As previously announced, The Post Office which has
worked in partnership with Camelot during the current bid, will now also
become a shareholder in Camelot Group plc so that each shareholder will have
20%.

Due to the delay in awarding the contract, an interim licence of up to four
months has been granted by The National Lottery Commission to Camelot.
 
For further information please contact:

Paul Hollingworth, Finance Director              01256 605307
Mark Fearon, Head of Corporate Affairs           01256 605303
The National Lottery Newsroom                    01923 425456