Raffling a house or car
Many people running raffles on high value items such as houses and cars do so by running free draws or prize competitions. These are not forms of gambling and we do not regulate them.
How do I create a competition to raffle a house or car legally?
If you’re organising a prize competition or free draw, it’s your responsibility to ensure you are compliant with the law. If in doubt, you should seek legal advice.
You cannot run a lottery if the money after expenses and prize costs is not going to a good cause. The organiser or promoter of the lottery must also be a non-commercial society.
You could run the competition as a free draw or prize competition. We do not regulate these and we do not provide advice on how they should be organised.
However, these type of schemes can look similar to lotteries. You can read more about the difference between lotteries, free draws and competitions.
How do I check if a house or car competition is safe to enter?
We cannot advise if a competition is safe to enter because these competitions are not regulated by us. You need to check the competition is legal and that you’re happy with the terms and conditions before entering. We advise you to be careful especially if you are paying a fee to enter.
I think I’ve entered a competition that might not be legal and I’m unhappy with the outcome – what do I do?
We are regularly contacted by customers who are frustrated by:
- competitions being extended
- prizes being different than advertised
- competitions being closed due to compliance issues.
The type of competition you’ve entered affects your next steps. The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has more information on the following kinds of competition. You can also submit a complaint to the ASA (opens in a new tab)
| Type of competition | Find out more about your rights |
|---|---|
| Free draws | Read the ASA's information on promotional marketing and prize draws (opens in a new tab). |
| Lotteries | Read the ASA's information on promotional marketing and lotteries (opens in a new tab). |
| Free entry routes | Read the ASA's information on free entry routes (opens in a new tab). |
| Social media prize draws | Read the ASA's information on prize draws in social media (opens in a new tab). |
Other support
You can also contact Citizens Advice (opens in a new tab) if you need help with a consumer problem.
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Last updated: 16 June 2021
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