Regulatory Information
Regulation & Legal Compliance
At Tickets to Dreamland, we’re committed to running legally compliant, ethically sound, and fully transparent prize draws. We understand there’s often confusion around whether prize competitions like ours require gambling licences — and we want to make it clear:
Tickets to Dreamland does not require a licence from the Gambling Commission, and here’s why.
We Are Not a Lottery
Under the Gambling Act 2005, a lottery must involve:
Payment to enter
A prize
An outcome determined wholly by chance
If all three elements are present, then the activity is a lottery and would require regulation by the Gambling Commission.
But there’s a lawful exception:
If you remove the payment requirement, you’re no longer running a lottery.
Free Postal Entry For Legal Compliance
We operate as a Free Prize Draw because:
We always offer a free postal entry route
No payment is required to enter via post
Postal entries are treated exactly the same as paid entries
This structure ensures that no one is required to pay to enter, meaning we do not meet the legal definition of a lottery — and therefore do not require a gambling licence.
This approach is widely used by major UK prize draw companies and is supported by legal guidance and industry precedent.
What We Do to Comply with the Gambling Act 2005
| Legal Requirement | Our Approach |
|---|---|
| Free Entry Option |  Always available via post (no purchase necessary) |
| Equal Treatment of All Entries | Paid and free entries go into the same draw |
| Clear Terms & Conditions | Every competition includes transparent rules and disclosures |
| No Skill Requirement | Our draws are random, but free entry removes the “lottery” test |
| Age Restrictions | Strictly 18+ only |
| No Encouragement to Gamble | No misleading or irresponsible marketing |
Why We Don’t Use a Skill Question
Some prize competitions use a “skill-based question” to avoid gambling regulation — which is a valid legal route. But we’ve chosen a more accessible method: free postal entry, which keeps things simpler and fairer for all.
This makes our competitions more inclusive while still remaining within the law.
What Happens If a Competition Doesn’t Sell Enough Tickets?
We’re committed to fairness. If a competition doesn’t meet its minimum paid ticket threshold by the draw date, we will still run the draw — but instead of awarding the advertised prize, we may award an alternative cash prize at our discretion.
This will be:
A fixed cash amount, stated in the competition rules; or
A minimum of 50% of the total entry revenue received, after reasonable admin and marketing costs
This protects both our entrants and our sustainability as a business.
Transparency You Can Trust
We publish:
Full terms and conditions for each competition
Clear privacy and data use policies
Live or independently verified random draws
Public winner announcements
Our competitions are fair, legal, and run with integrity.
Postal Entry Instructions
Every draw has a no-purchase-necessary entry method. You can send a postcard including:
Your full name
Registered email address
Date of birth
Contact number
Name of the competition
To our postal address as detailed when following the postal entry links.
All valid entries received before the closing date will be included in the draw.
Summary
| Area | Status |
|---|---|
| Gambling Commission Licence |  Not required |
| Free Entry Route | Always available via post |
| Paid Entry Option | Optional only |
| Equal Draw Treatment | Yes |
| Prize Draw Method | Random & fair |
| Underlying Legality | Fully compliant with the Gambling Act 2005 |
Still Have Questions?
We understand you may want to verify this for yourself — and we encourage it. You can refer directly to the Gambling Commission’s own guidance on prize competitions and free draws.
If you need clarification, please reach out to us at info@ticketstodreamland.com
Working with Charities – Fundraising Regulator Compliance
At Tickets to Dreamland, we are committed to operating with integrity, especially when our prize draws are run in support of charitable causes. While we are a Community Interest Company (CIC) and not a registered charity ourselves, we fully comply with the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice when working with charity partners.
Whenever a competition is run in conjunction with a charity, we enter into a formal Commercial Participator Agreement with the partner organisation in line with legal requirements. This agreement clearly sets out:
The name of the charity and its registered charity number
The specific campaign activities covered
The exact amount or percentage of ticket revenue that will be donated
The timescales for transferring donations
We always make this information clear to participants through our marketing, website content, and terms and conditions. We believe in full transparency — so wherever a portion of funds is being donated to a good cause, we’ll say exactly how much, and when it will be passed on.
We also ensure that charity names and logos are only used with express written permission from the organisation, and we never imply that TTDL is a charity ourselves.
As a newly launched social enterprise, we intend to formally register with the Fundraising Regulator as soon as we are eligible. In the meantime, we operate to the standards set by the Regulator’s Code and are happy to respond to any queries or concerns from the public or our partners. We are also committed to handling any fundraising-related complaints promptly, and in line with best practice.
Our goal is to make giving fun, fair and fully accountable — and to create a win-win experience for both our entrants and the causes we support.