Trust & Safety 6 min read

Are Competition Draws Rigged? How UK Winners Are Really Picked

How UK prize draw winners are chosen, what makes a live or automatic draw trustworthy, and the warning signs that a draw may not be fair.

Quick answer

Draws at reputable UK operators are not rigged. Winners are picked by a random number generator or a certified drawing machine, usually streamed live or recorded, with the winning ticket matched to a named entrant. Signatories to the government's Voluntary Code must use an independent person or a verifiably random, auditable process, and publish how their draws work.

How winners are chosen

The Voluntary Code says prizes should be awarded fairly, either by an independent person or under their supervision. It allows two exceptions: a computer process that produces verifiably random and auditable results, or a certified physical drawing machine. Operators should publish details of their draw mechanism on their website.

In practice, UK operators use one of three methods.

  • Live draws. A presenter enters the ticket range into a random number generator on screen, usually during a Facebook or YouTube stream. The number it returns is the winning ticket. The recording stays online.
  • Automatic draws. Software picks a winning ticket at the closing time and publishes the result. Good operators explain the software they use and keep audit records.
  • Instant wins. Winning ticket numbers are allocated before the competition opens and revealed when you buy. See our instant win guide.

What a fair live draw looks like

  • The ticket range entered into the generator matches the number of entries, including free postal entries.
  • The generator, and the range it is drawing from, are clearly visible on screen.
  • The winning ticket number is matched to a name and town on camera or straight afterwards.
  • The recording is kept and easy to find later.
  • The draw happens at the time promised in the competition terms.

Red flags

  • The operator doesn't say how its draws are done.
  • The range used in the draw is not shown, or is smaller than the number of tickets sold.
  • Draws happen off camera with no recording or explanation.
  • Winners are never named, even by first name and town, and there are no collection photos or videos.
  • The same people appear to win repeatedly across different competitions.
  • Draw dates keep moving when sales are slow. Voluntary Code signatories have agreed not to do this.

Why fixing a draw rarely makes sense

For a real business, a fixed draw would be fraud. It would also be easy to expose, because entrants can rewatch the recording and compare ticket numbers. Established operators depend on repeat customers and public reviews, so the risk far outweighs any gain. The bigger risks are small, unregistered sites and social media pages copying real operators.

What to do if you think a draw was unfair

  • Ask the operator for the draw details: the method, the range used and the recording.
  • Make a formal complaint using their complaints process.
  • If they are a Voluntary Code signatory and don't resolve it, you can raise concerns with DCMS.
  • If you think it is fraud, contact your card provider and report it to Report Fraud.

Our guide on how to complain about a competition site explains each step.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do competition sites pick winners?

Most use a random number generator during a live stream or an automatic, audited draw at closing time. Some use certified physical drawing machines. The winning ticket number is then matched to the person who bought it.

Do free postal entries have the same chance of winning?

Yes. The law and the Voluntary Code both require free entries to go into the same draw with the same chance as paid entries.

Can I watch the draw?

Usually. Many operators stream draws live on Facebook or YouTube and keep the recordings. Check the competition page for the draw time and where it will be shown.

Do operators have to publish who won?

The Voluntary Code requires operators to publish how their draws work, but it does not explicitly require them to publish winners. Most established operators do, and a lack of winner evidence is a reason for caution.

Sources

Last updated November 2026.