Help-Running a free draw (with both paid and free entry)

Majic

Is there anyone out there with experience who would be kind enough to clarify some specific points I have on running a free draw (with both paid and free entry) ideally by PM.

mjm3346

Majic said:

Is there anyone out there with experience who would be kind enough to clarify some specific points I have on running a free draw (with both paid and free entry) ideally by PM.

Do you mean running a pay to enter draw with a free entry route which can be used to avoid lots of the regulations that would otherwise be required for just a pay to enter one?

Majic

mjm3346 said:

Majic said:

Is there anyone out there with experience who would be kind enough to clarify some specific points I have on running a free draw (with both paid and free entry) ideally by PM.

Do you mean running a pay to enter draw with a free entry route which can be used to avoid lots of the regulations that would otherwise be required for just a pay to enter one?

That is correct

General_Grant

I believe that draws with both free and paid entries would not be lawful. 
For example, if one ticket costs £1 then five tickets must cost £5, not be discounted to £4. 

Majic

General_Grant said:

I believe that draws with both free and paid entries would not be lawful. 
For example, if one ticket costs £1 then five tickets must cost £5, not be discounted to £4. 

That's not how you would run the draw. You have a paid route and a free entry route. Participants must be able to access both options and the free route must be promoted the same as the paid route.

I would like to correspond with anyone that has run a draw.

General_Grant

Majic said:

General_Grant said:

I believe that draws with both free and paid entries would not be lawful. 
For example, if one ticket costs £1 then five tickets must cost £5, not be discounted to £4. 

That's not how you would run the draw. You have a paid route and a free entry route. Participants must be able to access both options and the free route must be promoted the same as the paid route.

I would like to correspond with anyone that has run a draw.

So how do people have an equal chance of winning if they don't have an equal monetary investment?
Are you saying that money actually has nothing to do with the draw for either?
I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has legally done this - not by PM but visibly on this thread.

DullGreyGuy

General_Grant said:

Majic said:

General_Grant said:

I believe that draws with both free and paid entries would not be lawful. 
For example, if one ticket costs £1 then five tickets must cost £5, not be discounted to £4. 

That's not how you would run the draw. You have a paid route and a free entry route. Participants must be able to access both options and the free route must be promoted the same as the paid route.

I would like to correspond with anyone that has run a draw.

So how do people have an equal chance of winning if they don't have an equal monetary investment?
Are you saying that money actually has nothing to do with the draw for either?
I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has legally done this - not by PM but visibly on this thread.

https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/guide/page/free-draws-and-prize-competitions

The Gambling Commission has rules explicitly on "free draws" where there is both a paid and free route 

They are fairly common, just look at https://www.itv.com/win/competitions/paid/26434/win-an-incredible-250000-plus-entry-into-our-mini-prize-draw/terms where its £2 to enter by phone, sms, web or app but free by post (you have to pay postage naturally but the RM charge for a stamp isnt considered a fee for entering)

The other classic are free entry to competitions bundled with goods (eg McDonald's Monopoly) where you can also send off a post card for free to get entry to the competition. 

Majic

General_Grant said:

Majic said:

General_Grant said:

I believe that draws with both free and paid entries would not be lawful. 
For example, if one ticket costs £1 then five tickets must cost £5, not be discounted to £4. 

That's not how you would run the draw. You have a paid route and a free entry route. Participants must be able to access both options and the free route must be promoted the same as the paid route.

I would like to correspond with anyone that has run a draw.

So how do people have an equal chance of winning if they don't have an equal monetary investment?
Are you saying that money actually has nothing to do with the draw for either?
I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has legally done this - not by PM but visibly on this thread.

Yes, that is what I am saying. A paid entry has an equal chance as a free entry.
Are you interested in running something similar?

DullGreyGuy

Majic said:

General_Grant said:

Majic said:

General_Grant said:

I believe that draws with both free and paid entries would not be lawful. 
For example, if one ticket costs £1 then five tickets must cost £5, not be discounted to £4. 

That's not how you would run the draw. You have a paid route and a free entry route. Participants must be able to access both options and the free route must be promoted the same as the paid route.

I would like to correspond with anyone that has run a draw.

So how do people have an equal chance of winning if they don't have an equal monetary investment?
Are you saying that money actually has nothing to do with the draw for either?
I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has legally done this - not by PM but visibly on this thread.

A paid entry has an equal chance as a free entry.

The requirement technically goes further and states that the mechanism for selection cannot distinguish free and paid entries... ie you couldnt use blue tickets for free and yellow for paid if you were using a traditional tombola for selecting the winner.