How to Find the Free Entry Route on Competition Sites
This is an independent, informational guide for UK readers and is not affiliated with the organisations mentioned. It is provided for general information only.
UK prize competitions must offer a way to enter without paying, on equal terms to paid entry — usually a free postal route. It is a legal requirement, so a genuine site always has one, even if it's tucked away in the terms and conditions rather than advertised prominently.
Why a free route exists
UK prize competitions must offer a way to enter without paying, on equal terms to paid entry, to stay outside gambling rules. This is usually a free postal entry.
It is a legal requirement, so a genuine competition site will always have one, even if it isn't prominently advertised.
Where to look
The free entry route is normally set out in the competition's terms and conditions, often under a heading like "free entry" or "no purchase necessary". It may also appear on a dedicated page linked in the site footer.
Each draw usually needs its own separate postal entry, with specific details to include, so read the wording carefully.
How to use it
Typically you send a postcard or letter with your name, contact details and the answer to the skill question, to the address given, so it arrives before the closing date.
Your free entry then has the same chance of winning as a paid one — that equal chance is the whole point of the rule.
If you can't find it
If a site has no free entry route and no genuine skill question, that's a warning sign, because a paid prize draw needs one of those to be legal.
A reputable operator will always make the route available, even if you have to read the terms to find it.
It's worth the couple of minutes it takes to find: the free route gives you the same chance of winning for the price of a stamp, and knowing it exists also tells you something reassuring about the operator. If you ever can't find one and there's no real skill question, that's your cue to walk away.
Do all competition sites have a free entry route?
Yes — a genuine UK prize competition must offer one, usually by post, on equal terms to paid entry.
Where is the free entry route usually found?
In the terms and conditions, often under "free entry" or "no purchase necessary", or on a page linked in the footer.
Does a free entry have the same chance of winning?
Yes — by law the free route must offer the same chance as a paid entry.
What if a competition has no free entry route at all?
That's a red flag — a legal paid prize competition needs either a free entry route or a genuine skill element.
Related guides: What is a free prize draw?, Are prize competitions legal?, How online raffles work
18+ only. Gambling should be fun, not a way to make money. If you are worried about your gambling, or affected by someone else's, free and confidential help is available from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, from BeGambleAware.org, and through the self-exclusion scheme GAMSTOP. You must be 18 or over to gamble.