Luxury prize draws are fuelling addiction, gambling charities warn

Luxury cars, dream homes and glittering cash prizes are increasingly being used to pull people into prize draws that gambling charities say can carry the same addictive drag as betting, while often escaping the safeguards that apply to licensed gambling.

GambleAware’s 2024 Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey found that 33% of people who gamble had taken part in a prize draw in the past year. That figure rose to 67% among people with PGSI 8+ scores, a marker of problem gambling. The charity estimated that 27% of people who gamble were experiencing some level of problems linked to prize draws, based on PGSI 1+ scores. The survey was based on around 18,000 adults interviewed in Great Britain in November 2024, and it placed prize draws and charity lotteries into a specific section of its treatment and support research.

The warning goes beyond numbers. GambleAware has singled out products such as Omaze and McDonald’s Monopoly as examples of prize-led promotions that may be normalising gambling, particularly among children and young people. Support groups say the risk lies not just in the lure of a win, but in the repetition: endless entry prompts, constant advertising and the sense that a small payment could unlock a life-changing prize. Prize draws are not currently regulated as a licensed form of gambling in the UK, leaving a gap between their gambling-like appeal and the controls imposed on betting products.

Charities and treatment providers say the harm can be severe. Problem gambling is linked to debt, and some people sacrifice food, bills and other essentials in order to keep entering draws. That financial strain is part of what makes the issue harder to treat than a one-off gamble. The prize itself may look harmless, but the behaviour around it can become compulsive, especially when campaigns are built to feel aspirational rather than risky.

Help is available for people affected by gambling harm. The National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, offers free, confidential advice and support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. NHS gambling addiction support pages also direct people to treatment clinics and support groups. As prize draws continue to spread across social media feeds and television advertising, charities are pressing a broader question: whether rules written for traditional gambling still fit a market where the line between entertainment and addiction has become increasingly thin.