Report
Exploring online, illegal, individual-led lotteries and raffles
Exploring online, illegal, individual-led lotteries and raffles
Digital intelligence
In phase 1 of the research, Yonder conducted digital analysis of public TikTok raffle-related conversation over the last 12 months to map the ecosystem, routes into participation, and how these raffles unfold online. For example, to understand what this activity looks like on the platform, how people start taking part, and how entry and payment happen, including being directed to other websites, apps or payment methods outside TikTok. This phase also helped to inform the quantitative questionnaire and qualitative discussion guide utilised in later phases of the project.
In particular, the digital intelligence phase sought to:
- map how players discover and move between social media and payment platforms, particularly to understand where and how players encounter this type of content, from advertisements and influencers to peer sharing, and how cross-platform pathways enable participation
- identify payment and participation mechanisms, particularly how people appear to pay or exchange value, for example through TikTok gifts or PayPal, and how aware they are of the legal status of these activities, including whether they report them
- explore awareness and evasion among creators, particularly whether individuals running raffles or similar activities appear to know that they may be acting unlawfully, and how they adapt or conceal behaviour to avoid detection or account closure.
The full list of sources and online platforms searched within the digital intelligence phase can be found in Appendix A.
Outputs from this phase included:
- an ecosystem map of how raffle and/or lottery-style content appears on TikTok (for example, LIVE streams, For You Page exposure and reposts) and how users move from viewing to entry and payment
- a typology of participation journeys (for example, watch a LIVE stream, pay off-platform, and receive entry confirmation)
- a list of common language and labels used by hosts (for example giveaway, competition, live draw) to describe similar mechanics
- a catalogue of observed entry and/or payment routes mentioned or linked publicly (for example PayPal, bank transfer, external links, TikTok gifts and/or coins)
- emerging trust and/or legitimacy cues and evasion behaviours visible in public content (for example winner posts, repeated exposure, off-platform direction).
How digital intelligence shaped the quantitative survey and qualitative phases
Discovery options in the survey (for example TikTok LIVE and For You Page) were included because they were prominent discovery routes in the digital intelligence scan (see Table 3 in the Routes into online individual-led lotteries and raffles section).
Checks and/or legitimacy cues measured (for example comments, evidence of previous winners, terms and conditions, 18 and older messaging) were derived from common trust signals observed on-platform (see Table 3 in the Routes into online individual-led lotteries and raffles section).
Language and/or labels explored later (for example, giveaway and/or competition) were identified in digital intelligence and then tested and explored with participants in interviews.
Next sectionQuantitative phase
Last updated: 13 August 2026
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