UK Compliance Guide

Running prize competitions in the UK requires compliance with the Gambling Act 2005 and related regulations. Giveawayz is built from the ground up to help you stay compliant. This guide explains the key requirements and how the platform handles them.

Prize Competition vs Lottery

Understanding the distinction is critical:

• Lottery — Winner determined purely by chance. Requires a Gambling Commission licence. Illegal without one.
• Prize competition — Requires a degree of skill or knowledge to enter. Legal without a licence as long as requirements are met.

Giveawayz runs prize competitions, not lotteries. The platform enforces this by requiring a qualifying question on every competition.

Qualifying Questions

A qualifying question is a skill-based question that entrants must answer to participate. This transforms your draw from a lottery (pure chance) into a prize competition (skill + chance).

Requirements

The qualifying question must:

• Require genuine skill or knowledge — Not be so easy that anyone can answer it
• Be answerable — Not be impossibly difficult
• Act as a genuine barrier — Incorrect answers should prevent entry
• Be relevant — Ideally related to the prize or subject matter

How Giveawayz Handles It

The competition wizard includes a qualifying question step where you can:

1. Write your own question with multiple-choice answers
2. Use the AI question generator to create relevant, appropriately difficult questions
3. Set which answer is correct
4. The platform automatically prevents entry for incorrect answers

Terms & Conditions

Every prize competition needs clear, comprehensive terms and conditions. UK law requires you to provide:

• The promoter's name and address
• Entry requirements and eligibility criteria
• The prize description and value
• How and when the winner will be selected
• How the winner will be notified
• The free entry route

Auto-Generated T&Cs

Giveawayz automatically generates UK-compliant terms and conditions for every competition based on:

• Your competition details (title, prize, dates)
• Your organisation information
• Entry requirements and qualifying question
• Draw type and date
• Free entry route details

You can review and customise the generated T&Cs before publishing. The AI compliance tool can also generate T&Cs tailored to specific scenarios.

Free Entry Route

A free entry route ensures that participation is not dependent on payment. Giveawayz automatically configures two free entry routes for every competition:

Postal Entry

Entrants can send a postcard or letter with their details to a specified address to receive a free entry. The platform generates the postal entry instructions and displays them on the competition page.

Online Free Entry

A free entry form is available on every competition page. Entrants who cannot or choose not to pay can submit their details for a free entry. These entries are included in the draw alongside paid entries.

Age Restrictions

Prize competitions in the UK can be restricted to participants aged 18 or over. Giveawayz:

• Requires age confirmation during the sign-up process
• Includes age restriction clauses in auto-generated T&Cs
• Clearly displays age requirements on competition pages

Data Protection (GDPR)

When running competitions, you collect personal data from entrants. Under GDPR:

• You must have a lawful basis for processing (legitimate interest or consent)
• Entrants must be told how their data will be used
• Data should only be kept as long as necessary
• Entrants have the right to request deletion of their data

Giveawayz handles data storage and provides tools for managing data subject requests.

Advertising Standards

If you promote your competitions through advertising, the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) Code of Practice requires:

• Clear and honest promotion — Don't mislead about the prize or chances of winning
• Significant conditions must be stated upfront — Especially entry costs and free entry availability
• Prize descriptions must be accurate — Show the actual prize, not a substitute

Compliance Checklist

Use this checklist for every competition:

• [ ] Qualifying question is genuinely skill-based
• [ ] Terms and conditions are published and accessible
• [ ] Free entry route is clearly displayed (postal + online)
• [ ] Prize description is accurate and honest
• [ ] Age restriction is clearly stated (if applicable)
• [ ] Promoter name and address are in the T&Cs
• [ ] Draw date and winner notification process are specified
• [ ] Data collection is GDPR-compliant