The National Lottery Commission are meeting today in secret to decide who will run the draw for the next seven years. An official announcement will be made on Wednesday but whoever loses is expected to challenge the decision in the courts.

There has been widespread media reports that commission chairman, Lord Burns, favours Camelot's bid - a decision set to cause political fall-out from Richard Branson's "People's Lottery" bid. A spokesman today said the decision "could go either way".