‘Hittin It Big’ at Risk After Report Questions Online Competitions

Lee Hills, CEO

In June 2025, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) released a quietly groundbreaking piece of research that could reshape one of Britain’s most colourful and least regulated online markets. The report, prepared by London Economics, carries the weighty title 'Online prize draws and competitions market study, assessment of harm and review of potential interventions.' But beneath the sober language lies a pressing question about how modern Britain balances fun and financial risk.

This sector has become a fixture of the internet age. From raffling-off luxury cars to lavish holiday villas, thousands of online prizes draws and competitions entice players with the prospect of life-changing wins for a relatively modest outlay. It’s a heady combination of glamour, hope and affordability, amplified by the viral reach of social media.

Yet what the London Economics report underscores is that for all their glossy appeal, these competitions occupy a curious, and vulnerable space in UK law. They are not regulated under the Gambling Act 2005, so long as they include a skill-based question or a free postal entry option. This makes them perfectly legal, but also means they bypass many of the consumer protections that govern casinos, sportsbooks, or even charity lotteries.

The skill-based loophole and a growing industry

For the most part, companies running these promotions are operating well within their rights. Take “Hittin It Big”, for example, a Northern Ireland–based business that offers everything from high-end tech gadgets to cars and cash. Its website proudly advertises that all its competitions are skill-based, requiring entrants to answer a question to qualify, and offers a free postal entry option as mandated by UK law. Their terms are clear, they publish live-draw videos, and their thousands of reviews on Trustpilot testify to satisfied, sometimes ecstatic, winners.

It’s a business model that has flourished precisely because it straddles the line between game and gamble. Consumers get the thrill of risk and reward, operators enjoy freedom from the stricter licensing burdens faced by traditional gambling companies, and the market has exploded with creativity. But according to the London Economics study, this creative boom may come at a cost to consumer safety.

Signs of harm beyond the harmless flutter

The DCMS report is admirably balanced. It acknowledges that for many, these competitions are harmless entertainment, no more problematic than buying an occasional scratchcard. However, the data also suggests that for a sizeable minority, the experience is far from carefree.

Surveys commissioned as part of the research found that around two-thirds of frequent players reported behaviours commonly associated with gambling harms including spending more than intended, chasing losses, or feeling anxiety over outcomes.

Charities and support organisations also told researchers that prize draws and competitions are increasingly cited by people seeking help for financial distress.

Transparency was another sticking point. Unlike the regulated gambling sector, operators of online prize draws are under no obligation to publish detailed odds or direct players to responsible gambling resources or gambling-related charities. This creates an environment where excitement can easily override caution, and where vulnerable individuals may not fully grasp the slim chances behind the glossy adverts.

Should the government step in?

So far, successive UK governments have taken a hands-off approach to these competitions, largely because they are classified as games of skill with free-entry routes. But as the London Economics study points out, the line is more than a little blurred. Many competitions are only trivially skill-based (i.e. 'What is the capital of France?'), and the overwhelming majority of entries arrive via paid routes rather than free postal submissions.

Faced with this landscape, the DCMS report explores whether a stronger regulatory hand is needed. It does so with care. A heavy-handed intervention, it notes, could crush small businesses and remove a popular form of entertainment from the market altogether. Many operators are transparent, responsible and responsive to customers, Hittin It Big, for instance, posts public winner lists and live draws to maintain credibility.

At the same time, the potential for harm, particularly among those already susceptible to gambling problems, argues for at least some additional safeguards. The report floats options ranging from voluntary industry codes to full licensing under the UK Gambling Commission, which would introduce measures such as age checks, clearer odds disclosure, and potentially even requirements to dedicate a portion of revenues to charity.

A blueprint for modern regulation?

What emerges from the London Economics analysis is not a call for immediate bans or sweeping crackdowns. Instead, it sketches a roadmap for proportionate, evidence-based regulation. The report suggests starting with a voluntary code of practice to improve transparency and player protection across the industry, paired with better data-collection to monitor behavioural patterns and determine whether problems worsen.

Should harms persist, more formal licensing could follow. It’s an incremental approach that tries to preserve the vibrancy of a market that, for many, is a source of genuine joy and community engagement, while still building guardrails for those most at risk.

Importantly, the study positions the debate around online prize draws as part of a broader challenge for 21st-century regulators. Increasingly, lines blur between entertainment, gaming and financial risk. Whether it’s loot boxes in video games or crypto 'lotteries' hyped by influencers, consumer spending now often mixes excitement and exposure in ways older laws struggle to capture.

Road Ahead

In the end, the London Economics report for the DCMS may prove a turning point not because it cries scandal, but because it offers a sober, structured way to think about a very modern problem. It respects the right of consumers to chase a dream, to pay a few pounds for the tantalising prospect of a new car, lucrative cash injection or luxury trip, while recognising that some dreams can come with hidden costs.

For businesses like Hittin It Big and its many peers, the message is clear. Transparency and responsible practices are likely to become even more essential, both to reassure customers and to forestall more burdensome rules. For consumers, the hope is that better oversight will keep the fun in these competitions, without letting risk quietly tip into harm.

In a culture that thrives on aspiration, finding that balance may be one of the most important regulatory tasks of the coming decade.