Editorial note: this guide is general information about how bingo, competitions, lotteries and gambling work in the UK. It is not advice, and it does not describe any specific promotion offered by Fortune Games. Rules, prices and regulations can change, so always check the operator’s current terms.
What happens if a competition winner doesn’t respond?
If a competition winner cannot be reached, the operator follows its terms: there is a set claim window during which it makes reasonable attempts to contact the winner, and if there is still no response, the prize is typically redrawn and awarded to another valid entrant. What an operator should not do is quietly keep the prize — promotions must be concluded fairly, with the prize actually awarded.
The claim window and contact attempts
Terms usually give a winner a fixed period — commonly somewhere between a few days and a few weeks — to respond after being contacted through the details they entered with. Reputable operators try more than once and through more than one channel, and advertising rules expect them to make reasonable efforts before moving on. This is why accurate contact details matter when you enter: the win is real the moment your number is drawn, but it can lapse if you are unreachable for the whole window.
Redraws and your protections
Once the window closes without contact, most terms provide for a redraw among the remaining valid entries, so the prize still goes to a genuine entrant — and the operator should announce the outcome just as it would any result. Under consumer and advertising rules, prizes must be awarded as described, so a promoter who treats an unclaimed prize as a windfall is breaching the standards it is held to. If you suspect that has happened, you can complain to the operator and escalate to the Advertising Standards Authority.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a competition winner have to respond?
Whatever the terms state — commonly a window of days to a few weeks after contact attempts begin. Enter with accurate details so you can be reached if you win.
What happens to the prize if the winner never replies?
Most terms provide for a redraw among the remaining valid entries once the claim window closes, so the prize is still awarded to a genuine entrant.
Can the operator just keep an unclaimed prize?
No. Promotions must be concluded fairly with prizes awarded as described. Quietly retaining a prize breaches advertising standards and can be reported to the ASA.
Will I be told if a prize is redrawn?
Reputable operators announce redraw outcomes like any other result. A redraw with no announcement, or winners who never materialise, are reasons to be cautious.
Related guides: Unclaimed lottery winnings · Can a competition be cancelled? · How prizes are delivered
18+ only. Gambling should be fun, never a way to make money. Please play responsibly and only with money you can afford to lose. If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, free, confidential support is available 24/7 from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, run by GamCare. You can also visit BeGambleAware (begambleaware.org) or self-exclude from UK-licensed online operators through GAMSTOP (gamstop.co.uk).