How to promote a raffle (without breaking ad rules)

TL;DR

Promoting a UK raffle means staying inside the CAP/BCAP advertising codes and each platform's rules on gambling-adjacent content. The safest formula: be clear it's a raffle (not a "giveaway" if money changes hands), disclose the legal route you're operating under, include the free-entry route prominently if you have one, keep targeting age-appropriate, and never imply guaranteed winnings. (The legal floor to enter a society lottery is 16; prize competitions and free draws have no statutory age limit. Raffair's own platform policy is 18+ across the board.)

The rules you need to know

UK ads are governed by the CAP code (non-broadcast) and BCAP code (broadcast), enforced by the ASA. The relevant principles for raffles:

• Don't portray, condone, or encourage behaviour that is socially irresponsible.
• Don't exaggerate odds of winning or imply skill where success is mostly chance.
• Don't aim content at under-18s or include material with strong appeal to under-18s — note this is the CAP/BCAP rule for paid lotteries and gambling-adjacent ads, not a blanket statement that all entrants must be 18+.
• Make the entry mechanism (and any free-entry route) clear before the entrant pays.

Primary sources: CAP and BCAP advertising codes.

Per-platform tips

Meta (Instagram + Facebook)

Meta has tightened gambling-adjacent policies through 2025. A prize competition that includes a free-entry route is usually approvable; a paid raffle without one will be refused or removed. Avoid phrases like "guaranteed winner" and be explicit about the legal route.

TikTok

TikTok's creator-led contest rules require clear T&Cs, no purchase-required framing in the body of the post, and disclosure of the entry method. Long-form rules in a linked URL satisfy the disclosure requirement.

Google Ads

Lottery-style promotions need certification under Google's gambling and games policy. Prize competitions structured with skill or free-entry routes are usually permitted under the "social games" or "promotional skill games" category rather than the gambling category.

Email promotion

The best per-£ acquisition channel for repeat raffle hosts. The mechanics:

• Send to people who opted in to hear from you, not a bought list (UK GDPR + PECR).
• Open with the prize and the odds context, not jargon.
• Make the free-entry route visible if you have one.
• Include an unsubscribe link in every email.

See our pricing page for the email cost structure.