Instant Wins Explained

1. What is an instant win?

An instant win is a prize-draw mechanic where the result of an eligible entry is determined or revealed without waiting for a later scheduled draw. The exact mechanic must be explained before entry.

2. Paid and free participation

If an instant-win product uses a paid and free-entry model, DR3AMS must make the free route genuine, prominent and equivalent in accordance with the applicable legal structure.

It cannot exist only on paper while paid customers receive a materially faster or better chance.

3. Prize allocation

The competition page should explain how instant-win prizes are allocated, the number and value of prizes, whether prizes are pre-assigned or generated by another auditable method, and what happens when an instant-win prize is claimed.

4. Credit cards

DR3AMS does not accept credit-card payments for instant-win competitions. The £250 per month credit-card cap applies only where credit cards are accepted for other competitions.

5. Transparency

• Number and value of instant-win prizes.
• How an entry can win.
• Whether an additional main draw also exists.
• Free-entry method.
• Entry limits.
• Claim process.
• Any prize inventory that remains available, where publishing this is part of the mechanic.

6. Responsible product mix

The current Government code says instant-win prize draws should not form the majority of an operator's total number of competitions at any given time. DR3AMS should treat instant wins as a supporting format, not the entire proposition.