> Answers on our cash prize competitions: how to enter, the skill question, the free postal route, how draws are run and how tax-free prizes are paid. Source page: https://granddraws.co.uk/faqs Help centre # Frequently asked questions ## The basics **Is this gambling?** No. Every competition turns on a genuine skill question you must answer correctly, and every one can be entered free by post. Under the Gambling Act 2005, a competition with a genuine skill question, or a free entry route of equal standing, is a prize competition rather than a lottery, so no gambling licence is needed. See our guide to the rules for the detail. **Do I have to be a certain age?** Yes. You must be 18 or over and resident in Great Britain (England, Wales or Scotland) to enter a paid competition. Our free launch draw was advertised to UK residents and stays open to Northern Ireland too. **How much does it cost?** It varies by competition, and paid tickets start from 9p each, bought in minimum orders of 25. If you would rather not pay, every competition can be entered free by post. ## Entering & tickets **Why is there a skill question?** It is the legal backbone of the whole site. A genuine skill question is what makes each competition a lawful prize competition rather than a lottery, and you must answer it correctly to qualify. **Is there a limit on tickets?** Yes. Every competition caps the number of entries one person can hold, so nobody can buy their way to a near-certain win. **How does the free postal route work?** Send a postcard with your details and your answer to the skill question to our free entry address. Postal entries go into the draw with exactly the same chance as paid tickets. The free entry route page sets out the full method. ## Draws & prizes **What happens if a competition doesn't sell out?** It is still drawn on its closing date at 9pm and the full prize is awarded. We never cancel, postpone or shrink a draw because of low sales. **How are winners chosen?** Winners are selected at random from all qualifying entries, in accordance with the laws of chance, by a verifiable, provably-fair method that runs automatically at 9pm on the closing date. The draw is not live-streamed, but you never have to take our word for it: we contact the winner directly, publish the result in the winners archive, and anyone can recompute and check any result at /draw-check. **What do I win?** Cash, every time. Prizes are tax-free, because a UK competition prize is a windfall rather than income (our tax guide explains, with links to HMRC), there is nothing to ship and no voucher to redeem. The amount shown on the competition is the amount that reaches the winner's bank. **How do I get paid?** We contact the winner directly after the draw, confirm their identity and age, and transfer the cash straight to their UK bank account. We aim to pay within one working day of verifying the winner. Can't find an answer? [Get in touch](https://granddraws.co.uk/contact). --- Grand Draws is a UK skill-based prize competition operator. It is not a casino, not a lottery and not gambling. Every competition requires a correct answer to a genuine skill question and offers a free postal entry route on the same odds. 18+, UK residents only. Please enter within your means.