A paid-entry draw where the winner is selected by chance or skill and a prize is awarded. UK prize competitions are distinct from lotteries — they typically require a skill element, a free entry route, or both, to stay outside lottery legislation.

A lottery-style draw where tickets are sold and a winner is picked at random. Pure raffles are regulated as lotteries in the UK and generally require a Gambling Commission licence or a society/registered lottery exemption.

A free-to-enter draw where a winner is selected at random. Because there's no paid consideration to enter, prize draws are not classed as lotteries under UK law.

A mechanic where a percentage of tickets are pre-assigned a prize that's revealed the moment the ticket is bought, rather than waiting for a draw date. The main prize is usually still drawn at the end of the competition.

A short question entrants must answer correctly to qualify for the draw. The skill element is one of the conditions that distinguishes a prize competition from a lottery in UK law.

A no-purchase-necessary way to enter a paid competition — typically by post or via a web form. A genuine free entry route on equal terms is one of the legal alternatives to a skill question for staying outside lottery rules.

A free entry route in which entrants post their details to the operator instead of buying a ticket. Postal entries must be treated identically to paid entries when the draw is conducted.

A fixed sum offered to the winner in place of the physical prize. Many operators publish a cash alternative for high-value items like cars or watches; the figure is often used as a comparable indicator of prize value.

Software that picks a winning ticket number at random. Reputable operators use a third-party RNG (such as Google's) and live-stream the draw so entrants can verify the result.

A draw broadcast in real time — usually on Facebook, YouTube or the operator's own site — so entrants can watch the winner being picked. Most large UK competition operators run live draws as a transparency measure.

The maximum number of tickets an operator will sell for a given competition. The cap directly determines the worst-case odds of winning and how quickly a competition can sell out.

The percentage of available tickets that have been sold at a given point in time. Operators often share sell-through figures so entrants can judge the implied odds before entering.

When a competition fails to meet a minimum ticket threshold and the draw is pushed back to a later date instead of being conducted. Roll-over rules vary widely between operators.

A prize awarded as account balance on the operator's own platform, which can typically be spent on future ticket purchases. Site credit prizes are common alongside cash and physical prizes.

A floor below which a competition either rolls over, awards a smaller cash alternative, or is voided altogether. Threshold rules should be disclosed in the operator's competition terms.

A self-regulatory standard that competition operators sign up to. It typically covers fairness of draws, transparency around odds, prize delivery timelines, and how disputes are handled.