> How our skill-based competitions work: answer the question, choose tickets or enter free by post, then an independently verifiable draw runs at 9pm on the closing date. Free postal entry. 18+. Source page: https://granddraws.co.uk/how-it-works Simple & fair # How it works **Grand Draws runs skill-based prize competitions.** Pick a cash prize, answer a genuine skill question, then enter with tickets from 9p, in minimum orders of 25, or free by post. Each competition is drawn by a provably-fair method at 9pm on its closing date, sold out or not, and you can check any result yourself. Because entry needs a genuine skill question and a free route is always open, these are **prize competitions, not lotteries**, run without a gambling licence under the Gambling Act 2005. 18+. Four steps ## The journey of a ticket Follow the brass token down the rail. A skill question and a free postal route sit on every competition. 18+. Published odds ## Pick a cash prize Every draw is for tax-free cash, and every competition shows the same facts up front: the prize, the ticket price, how many tickets the draw has, the cap per person and the closing date. Prices start at 9p a ticket with a minimum order of 25, and because the numbers are published, so are your odds. No purchase necessary ## Answer the skill question, then choose how to enter Each competition opens with a multiple-choice skill question, and only a correct answer qualifies your entry. That question is not decoration: it is one of the two things that make this a lawful prize competition rather than gambling. Then decide how many tickets to hold, or enter for nothing at all: the [free postal entry route](https://granddraws.co.uk/free-entry) carries exactly the same odds as a paid ticket. Sold out or not ## The draw runs at 9pm on the closing date Every draw goes ahead on its closing date, sold out or not. It runs automatically [at 9pm on the closing date](https://granddraws.co.uk/draws) using a verifiable random method we cannot influence, and winners are selected at random from all qualifying entries, in accordance with the laws of chance. We never cancel, postpone or shrink a draw because of low sales. Independently verifiable ## The winner is paid, and anyone can check the result We contact the winner directly, publish the result in the [winners archive](https://granddraws.co.uk/winners), and pay the tax-free cash straight into their bank. Draws are published, not streamed, and anyone can recompute one at [/draw-check](https://granddraws.co.uk/draw-check). ### Prize competition, not lottery A genuine skill question plus a free postal route make these prize competitions under the Gambling Act 2005, so no gambling licence is needed. ### Every draw goes ahead Every draw runs automatically at 9pm on its closing date, sold out or not, and every result is published and checkable. ### Transparent draws Verifiable random selection, published and checkable, with a public winners archive. ## Common questions **Are prize competitions legal in the UK?** Yes. 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. We do both, with a skill question and a free postal route on every paid competition. **Why is there a skill question?** The skill question is what separates a lawful prize competition from a lottery. Answer it correctly and your entry qualifies; get it wrong and it does not count. **What is the free entry route?** Every competition can be entered for free by sending a postcard with your details and your answer to the skill question. A valid postal entry has exactly the same chance of winning as a paid one. **How are winners chosen?** Once a competition closes, the winning ticket is 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. Draws are published rather than streamed: anyone can recompute and check the result at /draw-check. We contact the winner directly and publish the result in our winners archive. **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. ## Ready to have a go? Tickets from 9p, minimum order 25, or enter free by post. 18+. [Browse competitions](https://granddraws.co.uk/competitions) ## Your ticket could be next Every competition has published odds, a draw anyone can verify and a free postal route. 18+. [Browse competitions](https://granddraws.co.uk/competitions) --- 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.