Report
Understanding the consumer landscape in free draws and prize competitions
This short report explores consumer behaviour in relation to free draws and prize competitions
Key Findings
Participation (GSGB)
8 percent of respondents1 reported spending money on an online draw or competition to win a large prize in the past four weeks.
Looking at participation by age group (Figure 1), a higher proportion of 45 to 54 year olds reported spending money on a free draw or prize competition than any other age group. However, participation was generally concentrated within the 25 to 64 age range. This mirrors the demographic profile typically seen for lottery draw participation.
Figure 1. Past 4 week free draw and prize competition participation by age
Question wording: In the past four weeks have you spent any money to enter an online draw or competition for the chance to win a substantial prize such as a luxury house?
| Age group | Past 4 week participation in free draws and prize competition (percentage) | Base size* |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 24 | 5% | 1,238 |
| 25 to 34 | 9% | 2,405 |
| 35 to 44 | 9% | 2,216 |
| 45 to 54 | 11% | 2,110 |
| 55 to 64 | 10% | 2,094 |
| 65 to 74 | 6% | 1,880 |
| 75 and over | 4% | 1,131 |
Males and females were equally likely to have spent any money to enter a free draw or prize competition in the past 4 weeks (8 percent).
Although free draws and prize competitions are not classified as regulated gambling activities, they share similarities with lottery draws, in terms of the game style and demographic profile. To provide context to gambling activities, table 1 shows that participation in these draws or competitions over the past 4 weeks is comparable to online instant win games in terms of overall participation rates.
Table 1: Participation in headline gambling activities in the past 4 weeks amongst online respondents to the GSGB survey in April 2024 to April 2025
| Headline gambling activity | Participation in the past 4 weeks (percentage) |
|---|---|
| Lottery draws | 35% |
| Scratchcards | 12% |
| Betting | 11% |
| Online instant win games | 8% |
| Fruit and slots games | 5% |
| Bingo | 4% |
| Casino games | 4% |
Approximately 1 in 5 respondents who spent money on a free draw or prize competition in the past 4 weeks had not participated in any gambling activities alongside (Table 2). A similar proportion (22 percent) had engaged in one gambling activity, while a further 25 percent had participated in two.
This demonstrates that the majority (80 percent) of respondents who participate in free draws or competitions, also participated in gambling activities.
Table 2: Number of gambling activities participated in by respondents who spent money on a free draw or prize competition in the past 4 weeks.
| Number of gambling activities in the past 4 weeks | Proportion (percentage) |
|---|---|
| 0 activities | 19% |
| 1 activity | 22% |
| 2 activities | 25% |
| 3 activities | 12% |
| 4 activities | 7% |
| 5 activities | 3% |
| 6 activities | 3% | 7 activities | 2% | 8 activities | 1% | 9 or more activities | 6% |
Note: The maximum number of gambling activities a respondent could report is 20. The full list of gambling activities can be found in the GSGB Annual report (2023): Official statistics.
Overall, the most common gambling activities to take part in for those who had spent money on a free draw or prize competition in the past 4 weeks, were lottery draws (68 percent), scratchcards (25 percent) and online instant win games (23 percent).
These activities can share common characteristics with free draws and prize competitions, such as low-cost entry, chance-based outcomes, and the potential for large rewards. The high participation rates in these activities among free draw and prize competition participants suggests a preference for similar types of experiences. This may indicate that these individuals are drawn to specific formats of play, or that they engage in activities they are familiar with and enjoy.
Spend (YouGov Finance, Open Banking data) and Web Traffic (SimilarWeb)
Using YouGov finance’s (opens in new tab) open banking data we have been able to identify transactions with free draw and prize competition providers. To complement this, we have looked at the SimilarWeb (opens in new tab) web traffic data offering insights into user behaviour and online market trends, which allows us to assess the scale and reach of these providers alongside the open banking data to build on the bigger picture of spend and traffic in one. Visit the data source and methodology section for more details.
As shown in Table 3 and 4, we grouped the providers into four equal-sized categories based on the average amount users spent over the 12 month period, which are known as quartiles. Quartiles are a way of dividing data into four parts, from the lowest to the highest values. In this case, they help us compare user behaviour across providers with the lowest, middle, and highest average spend per user. This approach supports a more detailed exploration of trends in transaction volume, visit frequency, and overall engagement, using both open banking and web traffic data.
Across all free draw and prize competition providers analysed, users spent £75.38 on average over the year, making 9 transactions. Separately, web traffic data shows that users visited these providers an average of 3.4 times per month, with total monthly visits averaging nearly 479,000. While these datasets are not linked at the individual level, their combined insights suggest that free draws or prize competitions are not just one-off experiences. Instead, they appear to be a semi-regular activity for many users, with consistent patterns of both financial and digital engagement.
When we examine the quartiles, distinct behavioural patterns begin to emerge. In the highest spend quartile, users spent £141.85 across 14 transactions, indicating frequent and sustained financial engagement. Providers in this group also saw an average of 4.5 visits per user per month, suggesting a regular digital interaction. In contrast, users in the lowest spend quartile spent £28.93 across an average of 3.6 transactions, with an average of 2.9 website visits per user per month. This points to less frequent participation and lower levels of engagement overall.
Free draw and prize competition providers in the upper-middle quartile recorded the highest total monthly visits, 909,210, despite a lower per-user visit frequency of 2.7 visits on average per month. This suggests that these providers may appeal to a broader audience, even if individual users engage less frequently. While we cannot directly match spending and visit behaviour at the user level, comparing these patterns at the aggregate level still reveals valuable insights.
Table 3: Free draw and prize competition spend activity by spend quartiles.
| Free draw and prize competition provider spend quartile* | Average spend per user per year (£) | Average number of transactions per user per year |
|---|---|---|
| Highest spend quartile | £141.85 | 14.0 |
| Upper middle quartile | £76.13 | 10.0 |
| Lower middle quartile | £54.63 | 8.8 |
| Lowest spend quartile | £28.93 | 3.6 |
| Overall average | £75.38 | 9.0 |
- Spend quartiles are defined over providers, not individuals. See Methodology section for more details.
Table 4: Free draw and prize competition web traffic activity by spend quartiles
| Free draw and prize competition provider spend quartile* | Average monthly visits per site | Average monthly website visits per user |
|---|---|---|
| Highest spend quartile | 231,272 | 4.5 |
| Upper middle quartile | 909,210 | 2.7 |
| Lower middle quartile | 611,675 | 3.6 |
| Lowest spend quartile | 163,427 | 2.9 |
| Overall average | 478,896 | 3.4 |
- Spend quartiles are defined over providers, not individuals. See Methodology section for more details.
In addition to the annual averages, monthly web traffic data (Figure 2) reveals clear seasonal and cyclical patterns in user engagement. While visit numbers fluctuate month to month, there is a general upward trend toward the end of the year, culminating in a prominent peak in December 2024. This increase, reaching 12.5 million visits, could be driven by heightened consumer activity during the Christmas period. Engagement remains high into January before dipping in February and recovering again in March. These patterns suggest that user interaction with free draw and prize competition providers is shaped not only by provider-specific factors but also by broader seasonal trends in the wider consumer landscape.
Figure 2: Total number of visits to free draw and prize competition websites
| Month | Total visits (millions) |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | 8.0 |
| June 2024 | 7.4 |
| July 2024 | 8.8 |
| August 2024 | 9.5 |
| September 2024 | 8.1 |
| October 2024 | 9.0 |
| November 2024 | 9.7 |
| December 2024 | 12.5 |
| January 2025 | 12.3 |
| February 2025 | 9.3 |
| March 2025 | 9.5 |
| April 2025 | 10.5 |
| Total | 114.6 |
References
1 Respondents consist of those who completed the GSGB survey online between April 2024 to April 2025. Sample size: 13,049
Data Sources and Methodology - Understanding the consumer landscape in free draws and prize competitions Next section
Conclusion - Understanding the consumer landscape in free draws and prize competitions
Last updated: 22 January 2026
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