What is a skill question, and why does it matter?
A skill question is a question you must answer correctly for your entry to count. Under the Gambling Act 2005, a skill or knowledge test keeps a prize competition out of the lottery definition only if it can reasonably be expected to stop a significant proportion of people from entering or winning. The Gambling Commission says multiple-choice questions rarely meet that on their own, which is why Grand Draws pairs its question with a free postal entry route. Either way the question has to be real: a wrong answer disqualifies the entry, paid or free.
Why the question exists at all
It is not a gimmick. Section 14 of the Gambling Act 2005 defines a lottery as paid entry with prizes allocated wholly by chance. A test of skill, knowledge or judgement stops that being true, but only if it can reasonably be expected to prevent a significant proportion of people from entering, or of entrants from winning (section 14(5)). A test that falls short of that is treated as if it were chance.
The other way out of the lottery definition is a free entry route of equal standing. Remove both and what is left is a lottery, which cannot be run for private or commercial gain.
What makes a question "genuine"
The law cares whether skill, knowledge or judgement is actually involved, and whether a wrong answer really disqualifies the entry. A question nobody could fail does not count.
The Gambling Commission goes further: it says multiple-choice questions, or questions that give you another go after a wrong answer, rarely meet the test on their own. That is why we don't rely on the question alone. Every paid Grand Draws competition has a multiple-choice skill question, checked on every entry, and a free postal route of equal standing.
It applies to free entries too
The skill question is not just for paying entrants. A free postal entry has to answer it correctly as well, exactly like a paid ticket.
That equal treatment is deliberate: the free route has to carry the same requirements and the same odds, or it would not do its job of keeping the competition lawful.
The one mistake to avoid
The commonest way people lose an entry is rushing the question. It usually takes a second, and getting it wrong throws the entry away, win or not.
So slow down for the one question. It is the cheapest insurance on the site.
Please note.General information about the Gambling Act 2005, which applies in England, Wales and Scotland (Northern Ireland has separate legislation). It is not legal advice.
Sources
- Gambling Act 2005, section 14: meaning of "lottery" (legislation.gov.uk)
- Gambling Commission: Free draws and prize competitions
- Gambling Act 2005, Schedule 2, paragraph 8: choice of free entry (legislation.gov.uk)
Checked against these sources on .
Common questions
Does the skill question have to be difficult?
It has to be a real filter: a wrong answer must genuinely disqualify the entry. The legal test is whether it can reasonably be expected to stop a significant proportion of people from entering or winning, not how hard it feels.
What happens if I get the skill question wrong?
Your entry is void and does not go into the draw, whether it was a paid ticket or a free postal entry. It is worth double-checking before you submit.
Do free postal entries have to answer the skill question?
Yes. The skill question applies to every entrant equally. A free entry must answer it correctly, just like a paid one.