[11] Subsequently, Vernons closed its doorstep collectors operation in February 1998,[12] but ran a partnered lottery-base game with National Lottery during the 1998/99 football season.

Rechristened Sportech, the company's Littlewoods brand bought Zetters, a football pool firm with 60,000 customers, in 2002 for £1.35 million.

[14] In March 2017, Sportech announced that it has entered a ‘conditional agreement’ to sell its Football Pools division for £83 million to ‘FP Acquisitions Limited’ a newly created company controlled by the funds of London private equity firm OpCapita.

[15] In 2001, Sportech was one of three firms worldwide to win gambling licences from the Isle of Man to run online casinos in there.

The terms of the Isle of Man were restrictive, with operators unable to advertise their services in jurisdictions that do not yet have legalised online gaming.

The Isle of Man would force the company to undergo a recertification process in order to upgrade its software, and customers were limited as to how they could withdraw money from their accounts.

In March 2017 Sportech announced it would return £20 million to shareholders by way of a Tender Offer to buy back shares.