The UK’s gambling regulator has formally opened the competition to operate the National Lottery, while announcing staff cuts that are prompting further criticism from anti-gambling parliamentarians.

On Friday, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) announced the start of the cage match to determine who gets to run the National Lottery when the current licensee’s contract expires in 2023. The license is currently held by Camelot UK Lotteries Ltd, a subsidiary of the Camelot Group, which has operated the Lottery since its launch in 1994.

Whoever the recipient of the fourth license is, they’ll have a fixed 10-year term, which the UKGC believes will offer “a clear period for investment planning.” The licensee will also enjoy an incentive mechanism to ensure “the licensee’s incentives and delivery are closely aligned with returns to good causes.”

In June, Camelot reported sales of £7.9b in its most recent fiscal year, up 10% on the previous year, with digital sales topping the £2b mark for the first time. Returns to good causes were up 12% to £1.85b, but the new licensee will enjoy “greater flexibility to maximize returns to good causes, hand in hand with ensuring safe and fair play.”