Mills’ role as UK bid chairman will see him lead the team in the National Lottery license competition, alongside former London 2012 employee Alastair Ruxton as bid director, and British experts in the likes of player protection, good causes and customer experience.

Entrepreneur Mills played a key role in the Olympic and Paralympic games being hosted by London in 2012, serving as the CEO and international president of the London 2012 campaign.

He was also the deputy chair of the London Organising Committee of the games and for the past six years, has chaired the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and is chairman of the Invictus Games.

Mills said: “I am driven by organisations that make a real contribution to society. I teamed up with Sazka because they have a proven record of taking established lotteries, growing them and evolving them to be relevant for the future.”

Last month, the lottery operator confirmed its entry into the UK National Lottery license process after completing the Gambling Commission’s Selection Questionnaire, as part of the first stage.

Following the group’s acceptance into the competition, Sazka is able to review the final bid application documents, with the winning applicant for the 2023 license to be announced next September.