Greater protections for players of prize draw competitions introduced

The UK Government has introduced a new code which aims to strengthen protections for players entering prize draw competitions.

The introduction was announced on Thursday (November 20), with more than 20 leading operators having signed up to the voluntary code, which will see stronger protections and greater transparency.

This comes after prize draws have grown in popularity over the last few years, with a massive 7.4 million adults playing each year across the UK. The market is described as being worth £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) annually.

Today, we've published our new Voluntary Code for prize draw operators. The millions of people enjoying these competitions every year will now benefit from stronger protections and greater transparencyhttps://t.co/R2x9BEvAo4

— Fiona Twycross (@fionatwycross) November 20, 2025

However, due to these draws also offering a free entry route for players, those running them do not currently require a licence according to the Gambling Act 2005. The government says that in light of this growth in the market, they are determined to ensure that players are able to enjoy prize draws safely.

The newly introduced code has established a clear set of industry standards “which will help provide a uniform approach across the sector to strengthen player protections, increase transparency and improve accountability of prize draw operators.”

Monthly credit card cap introduced for prize draw operators

Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross said: “Millions of people enjoy entering prize draw competitions every year, and they should be confident that reasonable protections are in place. Thanks to the introduction of this code, that will be the case.”

The changes include a monthly £250 ($326) cap on credit card entries for prize draws and a complete ban on credit card entries for all instant-win competitions.

As part of the code, there is now also a commitment to ensure free entry routes are sufficiently publicised and accessible to all. As well as new measures for operators to identify and mitigate against harm, including signposting to support where necessary.

Currently, more than 20 leading operators are said to have agreed to sign up to the code following extensive consultations between the sector and the government. Those operators will then have six months to implement the code’s provisions.

The gambling minister continued: “I want to thank all of the operators who have already signed up, both for their cooperation in developing the code, and their commitment to following it moving forwards.”

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