Finley Design – Competition Website Legal Breakdown

Competition Website Legal Breakdown

How Our Competitions Work, What You Can Do, and Why They Are Fair

Our Commitment to Fair, Legal Competitions

We operate our competitions in a way that is transparent, fair, and compliant with UK law. Our goal is to make participation simple to understand, accessible to everyone, and free from unnecessary complexity.

There are different legal models for competitions in the UK. We have deliberately chosen a structure that is clearer for customers and safer from a compliance perspective, avoiding unnecessary barriers to entry.

Understanding the Different Types of Competitions

Before entering any competition, it’s important to understand how different competition models work.

In the UK, competitions generally fall into three categories:

Lotteries (regulated and usually require a licence)
Skill-based competitions
Prize draws with a free entry route

We do not operate lotteries, and we do not rely on skill-based competitions. Instead, we operate prize draws with a free entry route, which is widely recognised as the clearest and most customer-friendly structure as well as being the simplest form of site to run.

Why We Do Not Use Skill-Based Competitions

Skill-based competitions are sometimes used to avoid lottery regulation, but they come with significant downsides for customers.

A competition is only legally considered “skill-based” if:

The skill genuinely prevents a significant proportion of people from winning
The difficulty level is meaningful, not superficial
The outcome is clearly influenced by skill, not chance

In practice, this creates problems.

Problems with skill-based competitions:

Customers may be unsure if the skill requirement is “real”
Simple questions (e.g. easy multiple-choice) may not meet legal thresholds
Poorly designed questions can invalidate the competition
Disputes can arise over fairness and interpretation
Customers may feel excluded or confused

For these reasons, skill-based competitions are not now recommended, the skill based question is not part of the requirements in order to get RMG sign off, as long as you are running a free entry route you are operating in the correct manner.

Why We Use a Free Entry Prize Draw Model Instead

We use a prize draw with a genuine free entry route, which removes ambiguity and makes participation easy to understand.

This model allows:

Paid entries for convenience
A free postal entry route available to everyone
Equal chance of winning regardless of entry method

Because a free entry route exists, the competition does not require a skill element and does not fall under lottery licensing rules.

This approach is widely recognised as:

Fair
Transparent
Accessible
Customer-friendly

How Entry Works

You can enter our competitions in two different ways. Both methods give you the same chance of winning.

1. Paid Entry (Optional Convenience Method)

Purchase entries through our website
Receive ticket numbers instantly
Enter quickly and conveniently

2. Free Postal Entry (Always Available)

Enter by post following the instructions in our Terms & Conditions
No purchase is required
Free entries are treated exactly the same as paid entries
All valid entries are included in the draw

Choosing to pay does not increase your odds. It simply offers a faster method of entry.

Equal Treatment of All Entries

All valid entries, whether paid or free, are handled fairly and equally.

This means:

Every entry receives a unique ticket number
All ticket numbers go into the same draw pool
Winners are selected at random
Entry method has no impact on the outcome

There are no advantages given to paid entries over free entries.

How Winners Are Selected

Winners are chosen using a random selection process once the competition closes.

Key points:

The draw only occurs after the advertised closing date
All valid entries are included
The process is impartial and unbiased
The same method applies to every competition

Where possible, draws may be:

Recorded
Livestreamed
Verified internally

This ensures transparency and fairness.

What You Should Always Check Before Entering Any Competition

We encourage responsible participation and informed decisions.

You should always:

Read the Terms & Conditions
Check the competition closing date
Understand how winners are selected
Be aware of the free entry option
Only participate if you are eligible

Transparency protects everyone.

Why This Model Is Clearer for Customers

We believe customers should never be confused about:

Whether a competition is legal
Whether skill is genuinely required
Whether paying affects their chances

Using a free entry prize draw removes these uncertainties.

Benefits for customers:

No tricky questions
No misleading “skill” claims
Clear, equal chances of winning
Simple entry rules
Transparent legal structure

This clarity builds trust and protects both participants and the platform.

Our Promise to You

We are committed to building legal and compliant competition websites that are:

Fair
Legal
Transparent
Accessible
Easy to understand

We recommend you use the free entry prize draw model as the most honest and customer-friendly approach, and we design our competitions wesbites around that principle.