The Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators Explained
The UK prize draw industry has grown rapidly over the last few years, particularly online. With that growth has come increased scrutiny around fairness, transparency, and player protection. In response, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) published the Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators on 21 November 2025. While the […]
Essential Features Every Professional Competition Website Needs From Day One
Launching a competition website is not the same as launching a normal ecommerce site. A competition site has to handle legal compliance, payments, trust, user experience, and scale, all at the same time. Many new operators focus on visuals or prize value, only to discover later that the website itself is the thing holding them […]
Skill Questions for Prize Competitions, What Actually Counts as Skill in the UK
Skill questions are one of the most misunderstood parts of running a prize competition in the UK. Many competition websites believe they are operating legally because they include a question before entry. In reality, a large number of these questions do not meet the legal standard for skill. When that happens, the competition can quietly […]
Do You Need a Gambling Licence for a Competition Website in the UK?
If you are planning to launch a competition website in the UK, this is usually the first question that stops people in their tracks. Do you need a gambling licence, or not? The confusion is understandable. Some competition sites operate legally without a licence. Others are shut down, blocked by payment providers, or warned by […]
Why Payment Providers Reject Competition Websites (And How to Get Approved)
Launching a competition website in the UK often feels straightforward until you try to take payments. This is the point where many founders hit a wall. Stripe declines the application.PayPal limits or closes the account.Funds get frozen without warning.Ad accounts get restricted shortly after. For many competition businesses, payment rejection is not a technical issue. […]
The Biggest Mistakes New Competition Businesses Make (and How to Avoid Them)
Starting a competition business looks straightforward on the surface. A good prize, a website and a way for people to enter feels like enough. In reality, the industry has very clear expectations around trust, compliance, payments and user experience. When these aren’t handled properly from day one, even the strongest prize can struggle to gain […]
2026 Best UK Banks and High Risk Merchant Providers for Competition Sites
UK Banks and Merchant Services for Competition and Raffle Businesses Setting up banking and merchant services for a UK competition business can be difficult. Prize competitions, raffles and gaming style websites are often marked as high risk by traditional financial institutions. This means not every bank or gateway will approve accounts for this sector. To […]
How to Start a Competition Business in the UK: Step-by-Step Guide (2025 Update)
Launching a competition brand isn’t about luck. It’s about getting three things right from day one: a focused niche and brand, a compliant, conversion-ready website, and a real marketing plan. Miss any one of those and you’ll burn budget, lose momentum, and struggle to build trust. This guide shows you exactly how to set up […]
How to Build Trust in a Competition Brand (and Why It’s the Real Key to Sales)
If you’re launching a new competition website, the hardest part isn’t building the site or sourcing prizes — it’s convincing players to trust you enough to buy their first ticket. In a market full of flashy new competition brands, customers have learned to be cautious. They’ve seen too many poorly designed sites, inconsistent draws, and […]
UK Banks & Merchant Services for Competition & Raffle Businesses
If you’ve tried to open a business bank account or get a payment gateway for your competition website, you’ve probably already faced the same challenge most new operators encounter: “Sorry, we can’t support businesses linked to gambling or prize draws.” It’s a frustrating reality. You’ve built a legitimate, skill-based business, your website is compliant, and […]
