Online ‘raffs’ – harmless fun or something else?

Quite a few Facebook groups I’m in – especially skateboarding ones – are really heavily into ‘raffs’ (‘raffle’ not being allowed on the Facebook algorithm I think), whereby members are invited to buy tickets of £2 or whatever for a specific prize. Normally on these groups the raffle is null and void unless a pre-specified number of tickets get sold, but obviously there’s different models.

There’s websites that do this for vans, bike stuff, cars etc. too.

What do folk think? Insidious form of gambling or harmless fun? Not for me but I have seen various people throw what must amount to quite a lot of cash at them….

I occasionally have a go at the “dream bike competition”. Generally I’m happy about playing it, not so sure about the changing the prices of the tickets over the course of the draw, makes the whole thing a bit less transparent.

Not sure I’d touch one for a used car as there will probably be a reason that specific car isn’t being sold in the regular way.

As with any sort of organised gambling, the house always wins, its a business – they aren’t doing it out the goodness of their hearts. But for one lucky person, they also win.

If anyone doesn’t want to play, hide/block the FB pages.

ayjaydoubleyouFull Member
I occasionally have a go at the “dream bike competition”. Generally I’m happy about playing it, not so sure about the changing the prices of the tickets over the course of the draw, makes the whole thing a bit less transparent.

DBC ones are the weirdest I’ve seen. You could be after one prize, I’m after another, but we’re drawn against each other (plus a whole load of other prizes)

Car ones make sense as soon as you look at how much money they take for the draw versus the value of the car. OTOH Best of the Best is a load of nonsense as it’s actually a spot the ball competition you enter rather than a raffle

All of them are gambling and should be regulated imo

Dont these ‘raffles’ need to be licenced or similar? So in theory, if a random person is doing it on FB, they shouldnt be?

I’ve entered maybe 3 or 4 in my lifetime. I see the appeal, winning ££££ worth of gear for a couple of quid, but for me, i am not down with losing money with no return. Even if i could win, the chances are low, so its not for me these days.

I do know a chap who won a massive TV, playstation etc from one of these, so whilst the odds are low, i dont believe them to be a scam.

But as mentioned, the house always wins…. 1000 tickets at £5 each for £2500 worth of prizes…. its easy money!

Many of them seem to be illegal under the Gambling Commission rules, and for any I’ve bothered to look further into, the cost of the tickets *far* outweighs the cost of the prize (seen some over 3x). I’m not opposed to the organisers making some money, but I think they’re kinda taking the piss.

Dont these ‘raffles’ need to be licenced or similar?

Nope, not covered by any of the normal betting governance.

A lot of them are definitely legit, I know of a few people through another forum that have one on Dream Car Giveaways for example. One won a bloomin’ McLaren!

I wouldn’t do some random one on Facebook but must admit I do a single entry to the Omaze house ones from time to time (yes I know the odds are crap etc.)

National Lottery at least goes to good causes, private lotteries are just lining other people’s pockets.

as it’s actually a spot the ball competition you enter rather than a raffle

One is a game of skill, the other pure luck. 😉

One is a game of skill, the other pure luck. 😉

Sorry to rain on your chips, but it really isn’t. The winning guess doesn’t actually relate to wherer the ball was in the original photo – instead its “where our panel of judges deems the ball to have been” (or words to that effect)

There’s one that keeps getting advertised to me for a Komatsu bundle.  A bit like the Makita bundles from Screwfix Christmas raffles, but £200k worth of 2nd hand excavator, bulldozer and dump trucks.

Bonkers.

Also seen a few less organized looking ones on various buy and sell groups where someone’s tried to sell something like a 20 year old Yamaha R6 for £1500, had no luck, and then sold 300 tickets for £5 each.  No idea if they turn into outright scams or not but presume someone somewhere got a bike that wasn’t quite worth £1500 quid and perhaps needed some work, for £5.

Nope, not covered by any of the normal betting governance.

you literally could not be more wrong 😃

https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/print/fundraising-prize-draws-raffles-and-lotteries#:~:text=Overview%3A%20Fundraising%2C%20raffles%2C%20and,may%20be%20breaking%20the%20law.

from that link:

Fundraising and lotteries on social media
Be aware that lotteries also include:

raffles
sweepstakes
some competitions.
These are all forms of gambling and are subject to laws on how they are run.

You may have seen lotteries being promoted on social media, but this does not mean that are being legally ran.

Yeah, the one that they mentioned in particular seems to fall foul of GC rules for being a free draw or prize competition – but presumably they’re either happy to turn a blind eye or don’t have the teeth to enforce it.

you literally could not be more wrong 😃

It’s ok to point out that someone is wrong without a gloating emoji.

I’ve clearly been barking up the wrong tree, and/or possibly mixing categories. Will have a look into it later, but (for example) using Dream Car Giveaways seems quite different to going onto a normal betting shop, but I don’t think it should be. Especially when its known that people are absolutely pumping money into them

I feel like gambling is everywhere now and will only become a bigger and bigger problem. Lots of people don’t really understand odds and are sold a dream/FOMO.

Having said that I do enter raffles on a car forum and have won 3 cars, but that’s super transparent and a nice way to move cars that other wise might struggle to sell. (59 tickets, you can select your number and when everyone has paid then the result is the next Lotto draw bonus ball)

Wonder how much ITV make on theirs ?

but that’s super transparent and a nice way to move cars that other wise might struggle to sell.

Yeah, I’m a bit sympathetic to the ones that aren’t really making a profit, but just an alternative way of moving an item on, even if they are illegal.

oldfartFull Member
Wonder how much ITV make on theirs ?

Seems they do ok (2019 figure). I’d imagine their prizes are mostly donated as well.

TV competitions are a significant source of revenue for the public service broadcaster, with direct to consumer revenue, including competitions, hitting £84m last year.

I do enter raffles on a car forum and have won 3 cars

I’ve never even won a selection box at the school Christmas play raffle…

I feel like gambling is everywhere now and will only become a bigger and bigger problem. Lots of people don’t really understand odds and are sold a dream/FOMO.

Having said that I do enter raffles on a car forum and have won 3 cars,

Well that took a wild turn.

More details about your fleet of free vehicles please 😀

It’s ok to point out that someone is wrong without a gloating emoji.

ha! I actually added the smiley face in order that my comment came across as friendly and less-nobbish. Guess I failed miserably 😂

Yeah, I’m a bit sympathetic to the ones that aren’t really making a profit, but just an alternative way of moving an item on, even if they are illegal.

In my case I believe they could be classed as a private members raffle, since you have to be a member of the forum, but I haven’t actually looked into it.

I’ve never even won a selection box at the school Christmas play raffle…

I’m perpetually unlucky with this sort of thing otherwise. I think the universe enjoys me having to tell my partner I’ve got another money pit I didn’t need.

More details about your fleet of free vehicles please

Not free, I have bought a lot of tickets, but nowhere near the value of the vehicles at least

Volvo C70

190k mile BMW Z4

Cat N Audi A3

Entered the dream bike comp raffle a few times and my mate won hope brakes which he still has on his Trek.

The Omaze ones which are regularly advertised on telly baffle me a bit….. win  this £3 million mansion in Devon or wherever. But I currently work and live in Blackpool, so I don’t really want it. Surely suddenly owning a £3 million mansion is just a massive burden, the bills would be enormous to the average person. So why not just enter the lottery to win cash instead?

Surely suddenly owning a £3 million mansion is just a massive burden, the bills would be enormous to the average person.

They estimate the running cost of their current offering at £900 per month – which does sound a lot admittedly – but they are also awarding £100k cash as part of the prize so should cover bills for a while! I guess if you don’t want to move to the New Forest then don’t enter, but I’m sure you could pretty much immediately set it up as an Air BNB business. They even put the estimated monthly rental you can get right on the front page!

I would be a bit dubious about the trustworthiness of informal “raffs” but think that, if run fairly, such things can be ok especially if raising money for a good cause from a niche audience. No my name is not Gary 😉

I think the universe enjoys me having to tell my partner I’ve got another money pit I didn’t need.

Haha.

The Volvo and BMW are very handsome vehicles, but I reckon the A3 would be my pick – even though it’s in an awful colour that I’ve never seen before.

Do you still have any of them?

 I’m sure you could pretty much immediately set it up as an Air BNB business. They even put the estimated monthly rental you can get right on the front page!

And you can market it as “that place from the Omaze contest that kept appearing on your Facebook”.