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Exploring online, illegal, individual-led lotteries and raffles

Exploring online, illegal, individual-led lotteries and raffles

Published
13 August 2026

Last updated
13 August 2026 - Changes

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  1. Contents
  2. Appendices
  3. Appendix B – Quantitative survey

Appendix B – Quantitative survey

Question 1 - Gambling activities

Asked to all participants.

For the next series of questions, we would like you to think about gambling activities; by gambling we mean both spending money on games of chance where you can win money (in essence, betting) and/or free-to-play games where you do not have to pay to gamble.  

When, if ever, have you spent money on the following activities in the last 12 months?

Response options were presented in a random order:

a. Online fruit, slot or virtual gaming
b. Online bingo
c. Online betting on horse or dog races, including virtual races
d, Online betting on football
e. Online raffles (including prize draws)
f. Online betting on other sports, including virtual sports and e-sports
g. Online betting on events (for example, political, entertainment, topical, current affairs, novelty)

h. Online roulette, card and/or dice games, Poker, or non-lottery instant win games
i. Tickets for National Lottery draws online
j. National Lottery online instant win games
k. Tickets for other charity lotteries online
l. Other online instant win games
m. Another form of online gambling activity

For each activity, participants selected one response:

  1. In the last 7 days
  2. In the last 4 weeks
  3. In the last 12 months
  4. More than 12 months ago
  5. Have never spent money on this

Participants who selected "Have never spent money on this" for all activities were screened out of the survey.

Question 2 - Problem Gambling Survey Index (PGSI)

Asked to all participants.

And thinking about the last 12 months…

a. Have you bet more than you could really afford to lose?
b. Have you needed to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling of excitement?
c. When you gambled, did you go back another day to try to win back the money you lost?
d. Have you borrowed money or sold anything to get money to gamble?
e. Have you felt that you might have a problem with gambling?
f. Has gambling caused you any health problems, including stress or anxiety?
g. Have people criticised your betting or told you that you had a gambling problem, regardless of whether or not you thought it was true?
h. Has your gambling caused any financial problems for you or your household?
i. Have you felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?

For each statement, participants selected one response:

  1. Almost always
  2. Most of the time
  3. Sometimes
  4. Never

Question 3 - Engagement

Asked to all participants.

Some social media influencers or creators sell tickets for a chance to win a prize.

This can include things like raffles, lotteries, tombolas, “paid giveaways,” or any similar prize‑draw activity run by influencers or social media creators.

(To be clear, we are not referring to activities run by well‑known organisations such as the National Lottery, Omaze, Macmillan, and so on).

Thinking about these individual-led lotteries or raffles, have you ever done any of the following through your account on…

Response options were presented in a random order.

a. TikTok b. Facebook c. Instagram d. Twitch e. Discord f. Telegram g. Reddit h. WhatsApp i. Other raffle and/or lottery websites (please specify) j. Other social media (please specify)

For each platform, participants could select all that applied:

  1. Taken part in one or more I saw on…
  2. Saw one or more, but have never taken part I saw on…
  3. Hosted one or more on…
  4. I have never seen, nor hosted, one
  5. Not applicable – I do not have an account on this platform

Certain response options were mutually exclusive and could not be selected together.

Question 4 - Frequency of Engagement

Asked to participants who had seen, taken part in, or hosted an individual-led lottery or raffle via TikTok.

From this point on in the survey, any activities run by influencers or social media creators in which tickets are sold for a chance to win a prize will be referred to as individual-led lotteries or raffles.

Participants who had taken part in a raffle were asked how often they took part. Participants who had only seen raffles were asked how often they saw them. Participants who had hosted raffles were asked how often they hosted them.

On average, how often do you [take part in; seen; host] individual-led lotteries or raffles via TikTok?

  1. Daily
  2. Weekly
  3. Monthly
  4. Several times per year
  5. Once per year
  6. Less than once per year
  7. Don’t know

Question 5 - Prizes

Asked to participants who had seen, taken part in, or hosted an individual-led lottery or raffle via TikTok.

Dependent on their previous answers, participants were asked what types of prizes had been offered in, seen in, or provided through individual-led lotteries or raffles on TikTok.

What types of prizes have been in [individual-led lotteries or raffles you have taken part in; you seen on offer; do you offer in individual-led lotteries or raffles] via TikTok?

Response options were presented in a random order:

  1. Cash or cash equivalents
  2. Electronics
  3. Cars and/or vans
  4. Plush toys (for example, Labubu’s, Jellycats)
  5. Exclusive and/or rare items (please specify what)
  6. In-game prizes (please specify game)
  7. Mystery boxes
  8. Cosmetics
  9. Clothing and/or shoes
  10. Jewellery and/or watches and/or accessories
  11. Event tickets
  12. Hampers (in essence, holiday themed hampers)
  13. Other prizes (please specify)
  14. Can’t remember

Participants could select all that applied.

Question 6 - Discovery of Lotteries & Raffles

Asked to participants who had taken part in an individual-led lottery or raffle via TikTok.

How do you typically find out about individual-led lotteries or raffles via TikTok?

Response options were presented in a random order:

  1. TikTok ‘For You Page’
  2. TikTok LIVE
  3. TikTok hashtags
  4. Paid ads on other social media platforms
  5. Influencer posts on other social media platforms
  6. Chat groups in instant messaging apps (in essence, WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram)
  7. Online discussion forums
  8. Word-of-mouth through someone that I personally know
  9. Other (please specify)
  10. Can’t remember

Participants could select all that applied.

Question 7 - Location of Lotteries & Raffles

Asked to participants who had seen, taken part in, or hosted an individual-led lottery or raffle via TikTok.

Depending on their previous answers, participants were asked where the draws for individual-led lotteries or raffles via TikTok were held. The question referred to lotteries or raffles that participants had taken part in, seen, or hosted.

Where are the draws for individual-led lotteries or raffles that you [find; have seen; host] via TikTok held?

Response options were presented in a random order:

  1. Directly on TikTok
  2. Raffle provider’s own website
  3. Discord
  4. Telegram
  5. Facebook
  6. Instagram
  7. WhatsApp groups
  8. Other (please specify)
  9. Don’t know

Participants could select all that applied.

Question 8 - Payment Methods

Asked to participants who had seen, taken part in, or hosted an individual-led lottery or raffle via TikTok.

Depending on their previous answers, participants were asked which forms of payment they used when taking part in, saw being accepted for, or accepted when hosting individual-led lotteries or raffles via TikTok.

Which form(s) of payment do you [use when taking part in; see being accepted on; accept when hosting] individual-led lotteries or raffles via TikTok?

Response options were presented in a random order:

  1. Bank transfer
  2. Debit card (including Apple Pay and/or Google Pay)
  3. Credit card
  4. PayPal
  5. Cryptocurrency
  6. Using in-game items (in essence, skins)
  7. TikTok gifts
  8. TikTok coins
  9. Other (please specify)

Participants could select all that applied.

Question 9 - Vigilance

Asked to participants who had taken part in an individual-led lottery or raffle via TikTok.

When choosing which individual-led lotteries or raffles to take part in via TikTok, what checks, if any, do you do on the provider?

Response options were presented in a random order:

  1. Whether the raffle host is based in Great Britain
  2. Whether I have seen content from the raffle host before
  3. What the TikTok comments say about the raffle host
  4. Whether the raffle host and/or website is registered on Gambling Commission Business Register
  5. Whether there is a Gamble Aware/Gamstop/Gamcare/the Gambling Commission logo/account number on the site
  6. Whether the raffle host is registered with Gamstop
  7. They advertised it as 18 plus
  8. They had terms and conditions included
  9. Whether there was evidence of previous winners
  10. Other (please specify)
  11. None of these

Participants could select all that applied.

Question 10 - Reasons for Playing

Asked to participants who had taken part in an individual-led lottery or raffle via TikTok.

Which of the following statements, if any, best describes why you choose to enter an individual-led lottery or raffle via TikTok?

Response options were presented in a random order:

  1. The excitement of potentially winning
  2. Limited tickets and/or Fear of Missing Out
  3. The raffle is simple to take part in
  4. The raffle is quick to take part in
  5. I saw previous winners
  6. I have heard about it on other websites
  7. Tickets are cheap compared to the value of the prize
  8. To win life changing prizes
  9. Better odds of winning versus mainstream raffles and/or lotteries
  10. People that I know are entering the contest
  11. The person and/or organisation hosting the raffle is trustworthy
  12. I repeatedly receive advertising about the raffle
  13. The prizes offered are exclusive items
  14. To help a specific charity or cause
  15. It is giving away a prize that I want
  16. Other (please specify)

Participants could select all that applied.

Question 11 - Close

Asked to all participants.

Thank you for answering those questions. If these questions have raised any topics of concern, you can contact:

Samaritans on 116 123.

GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

The questions you have just answered were on behalf of our client, the Gambling Commission. We are also looking to conduct some follow-up interviews to explore a range of pathways and experiences, as well as gauging knowledge and understanding of TikTok raffles. This would involve taking part in a 1-hour online interview in Summer 2026, where we would look to explore your perceptions and experience of raffles further. There may also be a ‘homework’ task that we would ask you to complete before the interview which would take between 15-30 minutes of your time.

Please note, your details will only be passed on if you agree and only for the purposes of this study. All details will be stored and transferred securely and will be deleted once the study is over and note your details will NOT be passed on to the Gambling Commission.

If you agree to take part and are selected to do the 60-minute online interview you would be provided with a voucher for your time and as a thank you for taking part of £50 (for the interview only) or of £65 (for the interview + completion of the homework). You will need to provide your contact details to the researchers who will then send you the voucher.

The client would also like to see your answers to these question, but they will not be directly attributable to you.

If you agree to take part, we (Yonder Consulting) will collect your name, email address and phone number. We would then get in touch with you to further assess your eligibility and provide further details.

Would you be interested in taking part?

  1. Yes
  2. No THANKS AND CLOSE

Question 12 - Details

Asked to participants who expressed interest in taking part in further research.

Do you give permission to collect your name, email address, phone number and responses to this survey to contact you regarding this additional research, should you be eligible?

  1. Yes
  2. No CLOSE

Question 13 - Give details

Asked to participants who gave consent to be contacted.

If you are no longer interested in taking part in this further research, please close your browser without sharing your details.

Previous section
Appendix A – Digital intelligence list of platforms evidence was sourced from Next section
Appendix C – Quantitative sample
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