Guides to UK competitions
How prize draws work, what to check before you pay, what happens after the draw, and how to keep your spending where you want it. Written by us, kept up to date, and free to read.
How competitions work
How UK prize competitions work
Why a paid prize draw is legal in the UK, what the skill question and the free entry route are for, and how a winner is picked.
Read the guide →How to enter a competition for free by post
Where to find the free entry route, what to put on the card, when to post it, and the details that get postal entries thrown out.
Read the guide →Competition odds explained: caps, sell-through and value
What the ticket cap tells you, why odds change as a draw sells, what more tickets actually buy, and how to compare value across draws.
Read the guide →How instant win competitions work
Pre-assigned winning ticket numbers, reading the prize table, why the unclaimed prizes matter more than the total, and the end prize.
Read the guide →Before you enter
How to check a competition site before you enter
A ten-minute checklist: who runs the site, what the terms say, how the draw is done, and where to look for past winners.
Read the guide →Prize or cash alternative: how to compare them
Why the cash alternative is usually below the headline value, and why it is still the most honest figure for comparing draws.
Read the guide →After the draw
What happens when a competition doesn't sell out
The four things operators do with an undersold draw, where the terms say which one applies, and what it does to your odds.
Read the guide →What happens when you win a competition
How you will be contacted, the checks before a prize is released, delivery and publicity, and the steps to take if nothing turns up.
Read the guide →Do you pay tax on competition winnings in the UK?
Why a prize itself is not usually taxed, and the three situations afterwards where tax can apply: selling it, saving it, and giving it away.
Read the guide →Staying in control
Looking for a term or a quick answer?
The glossary defines the words you will meet on competition sites, and the FAQ covers how this site works.