Sad news reaches us this week as two competition favourites have announced that they are closing. Real People Magazine, a weekly true life stories publication from Hearst that ran a number of regular prize puzzles and competitions, will close now that their final issue has been published (20th January). Meanwhile Winneroo Games, a free to play site that offered cash prizes, will close down at the end of the month. Both brands cite money as being the reason behind the reason for their departures.
Winneroo Games
In an an email sent out to members, Winneroo Games have announced they’ll be closing at the end of January: “It is with regret we inform you that Winneroo Games will be closing on the 31st of January after almost 10 years of continuous operation. As a free games website that provides real cash prizes, we rely solely on advertising revenue to cover the costs of operating. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, this has become increasingly difficult and continued operation is no longer considered viable. If you have a balance of $10 or greater, you must request a withdrawal through your account prior to 23:59 GMT on the 31st of January”.
Real People Magazine
Real People announced their closure via social media with a short announcement: “Real People magazine is closing! Money pressures meant we couldn’t go on and our last issue is out tomorrow. Thank you so much for your support. The magazine would be nothing without you – you’re the real people”. There doesn’t seem to be any official announcement from Hearst but according to Press Gazette Simon Horne, Hearst UK interim chief executive and president of Hearst Europe explained that “after careful consideration, we have decided to propose closing Real People with the final issue going on sale 20 January 2022”.
Competition Clubs
As well as offering entry to the competitions featured in the magazine, the website also hosted the Real People Competition Club. Within this section there were numerous prizes up for grabs in a mix of prize draws and instant wins. Many of these competitions are shared with Hearst’s other publications such as Cosmopolitan and Mens Health so if you enjoyed entering these competitions on Real People then there are other options for you. Occasionally the prize draws with closing dates were exclusive to a publication but the instant win – or open until won – draws were shared by all sites. In truth though all this pales into insignificance as those who work for the sites will have lost their jobs and livelihoods.
We wish all those involved all the best for the future.