Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators (Effective 20 May 2026): A Complete Guide for Raffle Businesses
The UK Government has released a major new industry standard called the Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators, designed to bring higher levels of fairness, transparency and consumer protection to the fast-growing prize draw and competition sector.
While this new Code is not legislation, it is expected to become the industry benchmark — and all signatories must fully implement the rules by 20 May 2026.
For prize draw website owners, this is the most important compliance update in years.
Official government link:
👉 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/voluntary-code-of-good-practice-for-prize-draw-operators/voluntary-code-of-good-practice-for-prize-draw-operators
As the UK’s leading specialists in custom, compliance-ready raffle websites, Raffle Web Design explains what this Code means, how it affects operators, and what businesses must put in place before the implementation deadline.
Why the New Prize Draw Code Matters
The prize draw sector has expanded rapidly, now worth £1.3 billion per year with over 7.4 million participants. Research by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) revealed several key concerns:
- High crossover between prize draw players and gambling participation
- Potential risks of financial or psychological harm
- Unclear or inconvenient free entry routes
- Lack of consistency across operators
- Need for greater transparency and accountability
The new Voluntary Code aims to address these concerns while still supporting healthy business growth. It sets expectations for:
- Player protections
- Transparent operations and draws
- Higher standards of fairness and compliance
- Better monitoring of player behaviour
- Responsible marketing and advertising
This Code does not replace:
- Gambling Act 2005
- ASA CAP/BCAP advertising codes
- Consumer law
- GDPR / Data Protection Act 2018
But operators must treat it as the new industry baseline.
Who Must Comply With the Code?
The Code applies to all prize draw operators offering both paid and free entry routes, including:
✔ Raffle sites
✔ Prize draw companies
✔ Paid competitions with free postal entry
✔ Hybrid skill + free entry operators
It does not apply to businesses that only offer skill-based competitions — but if both skill and free entry routes exist, the free entry part must comply.
Website developers, affiliates, advertising partners and draw-management providers are also encouraged to support compliance.
What Operators Must Do Before 20 May 2026
The Code contains three major sections. Below is a simplified, SEO-friendly breakdown.
1. Player Protection Requirements
✔ Age restriction (18+) with verification
Operators must ensure all players are 18 or older with a reasonable age-checking system in place.
✔ Robust complaints and dispute resolution
Clear, accessible processes must be available for customers.
✔ Credit card controls
- Maximum £250/month allowed per player via credit card
- Credit cards banned for instant-win draws
- Applies even through third-party payment processors
✔ Spend limits
Operators must either:
- Set a maximum total monthly spend limit, or
- Allow players to set their own limit (including £0)
Limits must be in place before players continue entering.
✔ Self-exclusion tools
Operators must offer:
- Temporary suspension (minimum 6 months)
- Permanent account closure
- Optional “pause” features
- Zero marketing to suspended accounts
✔ Monitoring for harm
Operators must detect indicators such as:
- Excessive spending
- Repeated max-limit use
- Player distress
- Sudden behavioural changes
- Frequent payment method switching
✔ Responsible intervention
Operators must take proportionate action — including blocking entries — where harm is suspected.
✔ Signposting to support services
Operators should link to:
- National Debtline
- Citizens Advice
- Mind
- Samaritans
- Money Advice Trust
✔ Instant win competition rules
Instant win draws:
- Must follow equal free/paid entry rules
- Must remain a minority of total competitions
- Must display clear free entry instructions
✔ Responsible advertising
Marketing must NOT imply:
- Prize draws solve financial problems
- Prize draws are alternatives to employment
- Prize draws are guaranteed income sources
2. Transparency Requirements
✔ Clear rules and draw mechanisms
Each draw must explain:
- How winners are chosen
- That results are based on chance
- Full rules in plain language
✔ Fair and independent draws
Winners must be selected either by:
- Verified random computer software
- Certified physical draw machines
- An independent person
All entries — free or paid — must have equal chance.
✔ Clearly promoted free entry route
Free entry must be:
- Genuine
- Prominent
- Convenient (e.g., 1st/2nd class post)
- Available long enough before draw closing
If a free entry route is not effective, the draw may be classed as illegal.
✔ No reducing prizes or changing dates
Operators cannot:
- Move draw dates
- Cancel draws due to low ticket sales
- Reduce prize value
✔ Charity transparency
Operators must:
- Clearly explain charitable contributions
- Publish amounts donated
- Follow Fundraising Regulator rules
3. Accountability Requirements
Operators must:
- Monitor and audit their own compliance regularly
- Ensure affiliates and third-party partners follow the Code
- Share best practices across the sector
- Publish how they meet Code requirements
- Engage with DCMS when requested
If the Code is not sufficiently followed across the industry, DCMS may consider stronger regulation in the future.
Implementation Deadline: 20 May 2026
Signatories must be fully compliant within six months of publication and no later than:
⭐ 20 May 2026
Operators joining after this date must comply immediately.
How Raffle Web Design Helps You Stay Compliant
At Raffle Web Design, we are already adapting all builds to support the new Code. Our competition websites include:
✔ Age verification systems
✔ Spend limit configuration
✔ Free entry route integration
✔ Transparent draw mechanisms
✔ Account suspension and self-exclusion tools
✔ Instant-win compliance settings
✔ Clearly displayed Code compliance pages
✔ Audit logs and player behaviour tracking
✔ Responsible marketing placement support
We are also preparing to become official signatories of the Code as web developers in the prize draw sector.
If you already operate a raffle website — or plan to launch one — we ensure your platform is fully aligned with the 2026 requirements.
Speak to the Prize Draw Website Experts
Raffle Web Design is recognised as one of the world’s top specialists in prize draw, raffle and competition websites — now offering fully Code-ready platforms to meet the 2026 standards.
📞 Call us: 020805 88 620
📧 Email: info@rafflewebdesign.com
🌐 Website: RaffleWebDesign.com
Future-proof your prize draw business and stay compliant before the 2026 deadline.
