Prize Competition Council Formed as UK Prize Draw Operators Unite

Prize draw competitions, abbreviated PDC, are now represented by the trade association, Prize Competition Council UK. Just a couple of months after they created a voluntary code of practice, as don’t forget these types of services are not regulated by the UKGC, the main players in the industry have linked forces and created a new body to handle the market. This potentially means uniform responsible gambling measures, security and KYC protocols, and better clarity for both the organisations and the players using them.

While the concept is nothing new, from a legal standpoint this is a pretty new vertical and one that has shot upward in recent months as the UKGC tightens gambling laws for iGaming operators and bookmakers. Creating the voluntary code was really the basis for establishing trust with the players and the lawmakers. Now, with representation, it adds a foundation for the future of PDC – something that will excite many UK customers.

The Prize Competition Council

Prize draw competitions use the Voluntary Code as their operational guideline, and the launch of the Prize Competition Council does not change the fact that they fall outside of UKGC regulated territory. The prize competitions are not classified as any of the lottery, bingo, or iGaming operations that the UKGC covers, as well as sports betting. But what makes them different from other unregulated operators, such as offshore casinos, illegal gambling syndicates or betting brokers, and informal gambling operations, is that PDC has a legal framework.

They didn’t wait for the UKGC to regulate the space, but instead chose to self-regulate and offer a Code of Good Practice to the UK Government. The PCC will act as their collective representation in the face of the UK Government and Gambling Commission, and encourage all operators to stick to the Voluntary Code.

The Need for Representation

Just in 2025, the UKGC identified 438 suspected illegal lotteries, which were reported to social media platforms, and a further 544 reports about society lotteries claiming to be free draws and PDC. Society lotteries being charitable lotteries that are regulated by the UKGC and raise money for good causes. A minimum of 20% of their proceeds must go to charities, sports or cultural activities, as determined by the UKGC.

Unregulated operators trying to pass off as PDC, or classically PDC operators who step over the boundaries, are perhaps the biggest threats to Prize Draw Competitions. This semi-regulated space only works if operators can stick to the guidelines, guidelines that have been approved of by the UKGC. A body like the Prize Competition Council could be one of the most important developments here.

Because if they are to act as the trade association representing these operators, they could spot any parties trying to abuse the legal frameworks, collaborating with the UKGC or the UK’s Illegal Gambling Taskforce to help bring order and stability to the PDC niche.

Main Parties in PCC

The board of the Prize Competition Council is made up of many of the heads of the most well known platforms in the niche. These are:

• George McGregor (independent, non-affiliated)
• Chris Jennings (BOTB, Click)
• Tam Watson (Jumbo Interactive UK)
• Declan Murray (Pristine Competitions)
• Punit Shah (7days Performance)
• Pete Toye (The GiveAway Guys)
• Oliver Donnelly (McKinney Competitions)
• Ian Buckley (Paragon Competitions)
• Daniel Swann (Two Fat Ladies Comps)

BOTB, or Best of the Best, is the biggest on the list, having run since 1999 and firmly established itself as arguably the biggest prize draw competition for car and automotive prizes. Many of the others are regional and smaller establishments, but with strong online communities. Jumbo Interactive is an interesting operator on this list, as it mainly focuses in its native Australia, with lottery games that are approved by the licensed lottery operator, Tatts Group. Jumbo Interactive runs the Aussie ozlotteries.com, and provides products like Oz Lotto, Powerball, and Saturday Lotto. But it also has a UK presence, with PDC platforms.

How PDC Works

Prize draw competitions have been around for decades, falling into some kind of alternative, and unregulated, lottery product. The premise of the lotteries is that you can always enter for free – either through online forms or postal entries, to get tickets to the draw for free. There are also options to buy tickets, if you want to get more shots at winning, but this is not forced on UK customers. And, to assure any doubters, the rules of the competitions state that paid entries should not have a better chance of winning than free ones.

The prizes can vary greatly, from luxury watches to super cars and even new build homes in the UK. Some operators branch multiple niches, whereas others may focus on a specific prize draw, such as only newbuilds, or just cars. This alternative lottery has become extremely popular in the past few years. To the point that it generates an estimated £1.3 billion in annual revenue, with over 7.4 million customers in the UK. The year on year figures are increasing, and the Voluntary Code acts as the guide for all operators who want to provide fair practice in the UK.

Role of the Council Going Forward

But some kind of governing body will be necessary, because this code is not enforced by any laws, it is a self-prescribed set of rules for the PDC runners. Going forward, the Prize Competition Council could become the main trade body to keep track of the operators, providing the UK’s Illegal Gambling Taskforce with the data they need, and ensuring that all members of this organisation are compliant with the Voluntary Code.

There are definite loopholes in the system, and trust is essential for the real operators to maintain a good standing in this new niche. Operators that extend their services to providing types of casino games, sports bets, or even secondary lottery betting – something that Ireland has recently clamped down on – these can jeopardise the health of this niche as a whole.

Cementing the Future of PDC?

When the Voluntary Code came out, there were hints of the market being shortlived, at least in the current state of affairs. Not in terms of whether or not PDC would last, there are over 400 operators in the UK and 7.4 million Britons using these platforms. The statutes seemed to imply that PDC would not continue forever without any UKGC regulation. But they put a fair case for the conditions of good practice, with consumer spending limits, administrative securities and player protection measures to mitigate any addictive traits that the platforms could induce.

The PCC is the first step towards bridging this, seemingly temporary, voluntary code with a more legally stable future. Should the UKGC turn their attention from raising iGaming taxes, strict affordability and financial assessments, cracking down on illegal black market sites, and blocking out any offshore operators from sponsoring sports teams, they may finally turn to this niche and decide how to go forward.

Staying Afloat in a Competitive UK Gambling Market

The UK gambling scene is in transition right now, and players could be looking at an entirely new era of online gaming. These safety measures and stronger enforcement on black market sites are changing the landscape for players, and they have attracted backlash from players and insiders alike. But it it also a headache for operators, who will be forced to soak up the tax hikes, and look for cost cutting solutions such as reducing their games portfolio, moving abroad to save on overheads and tax, or (and worst of all), potentially reducing RTP to leverage the bite into their profit margins.

The UKGC also recently announced that it will be increasing licensing fees for UK operators, adding further woe to operators. It is becoming increasingly harder for operators, and perhaps this will seive out the smaller brands from the larger conglomerates that can still do business in such strict conditions. One thing is definite. PDC operators don’t have to worry yet about any taxes or stringent regulation, and with the trade association, they are in the perfect position to surge forward and build on their quickly growing niche.