Pay To Enter Competitions, Raffles & Skill Competitions
In recent years we've seen an increase in the number of pay to enter prize competition sites. They usually refer to themselves as raffles although is actually a misnomer and can lead to confusion. There are also strict rules about running raffles. Entrants have to purchase tickets for the chance to win cars, holidays and other lifestyle items. Unlike a free prize draw, which can attract unlimited entries, pay to enter competitions will normally restrict the number of entries. Additionally, to avoid falling foul of The UK Gambling Commission, these competitions either must have an element of skill such as spot the ball or offer a free entry option.
But are these competitions safe and should you consider entering them? Can you enter them for free? Following on from our win a house listings we've decided to apply the same approach to pay to enter sites. We'll be looking at the best sites that are available, the prizes you can win, the entry process and most importantly whether you can trust them. Do they have winners? How long have they be running? Are there any issues we feel need to be raised? Are they responsible when it comes to paying and playing. We also welcome your comments on any of the sites featured below.
20 Featured Raffle Sites - Free Entry Route Available
Order By: All, Date Added, Closed, Free Entry, Skill Required, Win A House, Win A Watch
Mecca Raffles
Win Gadgets, Cash, Bingo Prizes
Mecca Bingo have launched their own pay to enter competition service at Mecca Raffles. Enter for the chance to win various prizes including gadgets and cash. Tickets cost from just 50p and all prizes are guaranteed. No purchase postal entries available.
Omaze
Win Luxury Prizes, Cars, Holidays
Omaze is a worldwide raffle style site that raises money for charity by offering incredible experiences. Some promotions are open to UK residents which means you can win amazing prizes from as little as $10. Alternatively you can enter online without making a contribution to good causes.
Aspire Competitions
Win Campervans, Tech, Cash
Aspire Comps want you to win big and spend little. They run numerous competitions from just £1.99 a ticket and prizes include campervans, cash, hot tubs, scooters and watches. The site also makes regular charity donations and has supported a number of good causes.
Click Competitions
Win Cars, Cash, Tech
Click Competitions gives you the chance to win tech, cars and cash prizes from as little as 99p a ticket. The cash competitions have no minimum entries and prizes are guaranteed. All draws are done live on Facebook using a random number generator.
Dream Car Giveaways
Win Cars, Bikes, Tech, Cash, Watches
Win your dream car with Dream Car Giveaways. Select a competition, answer the question and enter the draw. Tickets cost from £1.99 but a free entry route is also available. Draws are streamed live on Facebook.
7 Days Performance
Win Cars, Tech, Cash
Enter for the chance to win your dream car. Current prizes include Audi S3 and BMW 140i. Other prizes include a hot tub and tech bundles. Tickets costs range from 99p up to £7.89. All draws are live on Facebook.
Elite Competitions
Win Cash, Cars, Tech, Lifestyle Prizes
As seen on Dragon's Den! Prizes range from super cars, houses and large cash sums through to items such as hot tubs and tech. Ticket prices start around £1.99. Live streamed videos of the draws are shown on social media.
Raffolux
Win Cars, Cash, Lifestyle Prizes
Raffolux describes itself as the home of luxury raffles. Sign up to get access to the competitions. You will need to deposit at least £3 into your wallet or enter free by post. Tickets start at just £1.
I Want In
Win Guitars & Basses
Win fabulous music prizes such as guitars and basses for the price of a cup of coffee. I Want In is a recently launched competition site but has already created winners. All their prize draws close once the last ticket is sold for that particular draw
DayMade
Win Holidays, Experiences
DayMade, formerly TripHunters, gives you the chance to win a variety of prizes, including bucketlister prizes worth £25,000. The site comprises regular raffles and a weekly lottery style prize draw. The latter costs £3.50 a ticket although you can play cheaper with a subscription. Raffle tickets start at just £2.
This Is The Want
Win Designer Handbags
This Is The Want are trying to be different to other raffle brands. Their aiming to put "luxury brands and experiences" within everyone's reach and describe themselves as the "leading luxury prize destination for women". For just under £4 you could win designer gear in prize draws that are guaranteed!
Good Life Competitions
Win Super Cars, Luxury Cars
Enter for your chance to win Super Cars and other luxury prizes. Tickets are not cheap and range from £12 to £60 depending on the prize. All draws are overseen by Promo Veritas.
Rev Comps
Win Cars, Motorbikes, Watches
Rev Comps offers entrants the chance to win a variety of vehicles. Purchase tickets and answer questions to enter the draws. Some prizes are guaranteed which means they're awarded regardless of ticket sales. Ticket prices tend to cost from £6 and upwards.
Redline Competitions
Win Cars, Cash
Redline offers weekly cash draws as well as the chance to win a fantastic mix of 80s, 90s & 00s cars. Tickets cost from £1.99. Live draws are shown on their Facebook page and they even have apps for Apple and Android phones.
Boxpoint Comps
Win Fitness Prizes
Whilst other raffle sites focus on cars and tech, Boxpoint Comps offer entrants the chance to win fitness prizes. Trainers, weighted vests and stand-up paddleboards are just some of the prizes that can be won. Ticket prices however start at £3 but there is a NPN option.
Storm Competitions
Win Cars
Storm Competitions are giving entrants the chance to win high-quality low mileage prestige cars in their online promotions. Ticket prices vary but are typically around £12+. Prizes provided by sister company Storm Motors include a Mercedes, BMW and a 6 Berth Motorhome.
Luxury Competitions
Win Lifestyle Prizes
Luxury Competitions gives you the opportunity to win luxury items like watches and iPhones in regular giveaways. To play purchase tickets and play a skill-based game to enter the limited number of raffles that are available. Tickets cost from £6 (depending on prize) and packages can also be bought.
Raffle House
Win Houses, Cash, Tech, Lifestyle Prizes
Every ticket purchased at Raffle House is entered into the Jackpot Prize Competition to win a property and the weekly Lifestyle Prize draw that you choose every Sunday. Tickets start at £2 and prizes depend on the number of tickets you purchase.
Raffle My Car
Win Cars
Formerly Elite Prizes, Raffle My Car offers entrants the chance to win prizes from £10 a ticket. Prizes are guaranteed although the competitions can be extended. Draws for winners are shown live on social media.
Cloud Nine Competitions
Win Cars, Lifestyle Prizes
Recently relaunched, Cloud Nine Competitions offers entrants the chance to win a variety of prizes including cars and lifetsyle goodies. Ticket prices range from £1 to £10. Open to UK & Ireland, a free entry option is available.
Are Prize Competitions/Raffles Gambling?
In our view these kind of prize competitions or raffles as they're wrongly named fall into a grey area between gambling and free prize draws. To enter a pay to enter prize competition you usually have to complete some element of skill. This ranges from answering a multiple choice question through to spot the ball. If you're spending money on a raffle with a limited number of tickets then essentially you are gambling that cash on you winning at fixed odds. However skill competitions or pay to enter draws like those above, as well as win a house competitions, are not overseen by The UK Gambling Commission. However they all involved spending money and can be addictive. Therefore we have included a begambleaware.org notice on each listing. Our advice is that you play responsibly - treat the sites like you would any brand that offers bingo, slots or sportsbook gambling.
Are They A Con?
On the surface some of these competitions seem great. However it is important to look under the surface. Not every prize is brand new! Some sites offer second hand cars and watches as luxury prizes. Closing dates can also be misleading. For example you might purchase a ticket for a competition that ends this month. However the terms may state that the raffle will extend it's closing date for a number of times. Prizes are not always guaranteed either. If insufficient tickets are not sold then a cash prize is usually awarded. Our ratings above should give you an idea of the best sites to choose from. The best sites will guarantee prizes regardless of the number of tickets sold.
How Many Sites Are There?
We currently feature 24 pay to enter sites in this section. However there are 10s more of these kind of sites active. Zap Competitions for example power over 20 different brands with it's platform. If you drop in on Trust Pilot there are reviews for a large number of sites with new ones coming on board all the time. Visit one of these sites and you're guaranteed to see adverts for even more raffle sites the next time you drop in to Facebook or Instagram.
Can I Enter Raffles For Free?
In some cases you can get free entries. For the most part these will be postal entries. In fact from the list above only Omaze offer an online free entry option. What we do see is that a lot of the sites will run free prize draws, sometimes on social media, offering credit as a prize. Our advice is if you're not sure about these kind of competitions then leave them alone. If you are curious then select a well known and established brand rather than one of the many new sites that keep popping up.
Add Your Site To Loquax
If you've run a raffle/prize competition site and want to be featured in this section on Loquax then please get in touch. Affiliate partnership options are also available. We do allow some posts to our competition listings but only within specific guidelines and limitations. The reviews and information here is provided for reference only.
