New UK Gambling Commission research has revealed how illegal paid-entry raffles operated by individuals, influencers and small businesses can reach consumers through TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. Users frequently encounter these draws while scrolling, with low ticket prices, live broadcasts and visible winners making participation feel more like casual entertainment than gambling.
TikTok LIVE and recommendation feeds make illegal raffles easy to discover.
Visible winners, familiar hosts and positive comments can create a sense of legitimacy.
Payments frequently move to external websites, payment platforms or private messages.
Awareness of the licensing requirements governing paid-entry draws remains low.
The UKGC helped remove 252 illegal lotteries from social media platforms during the last 12 months.
Published on 13 August, the UKGC research combined digital intelligence with a survey of more than 4,000 UK adults and interviews with nine players and one raffle host. The study expands the Commission’s investigation into the illegal market, building on its earlier research into the different types of consumers using unlicensed gambling websites.
Researchers found that livestreams, reposts and recommendation algorithms could place paid-entry draws directly into users’ regular social-media feeds. Consumers often encountered the content without actively searching for gambling.
Among 80 survey respondents who had entered a TikTok raffle, 49% typically discovered them through TikTok LIVE and 41% through the For You Page. The small participant base means these percentages should be treated cautiously.
TikTok raffles were generally presented as fast-moving entertainment, while Facebook draws were more likely to circulate through friends, local businesses and community groups. This familiarity could make a draw appear trustworthy before its legality was considered.
Consumers were generally more concerned about whether a draw appeared genuine than whether its host held the appropriate licence or registration.
Among the 80 TikTok raffle participants, 33% said seeing previous winners encouraged them to enter. Participants also relied on comments, repeated exposure and familiarity with the host.
By comparison, only 23% said they checked whether the host or associated website appeared on the Gambling Commission’s business register. Terms such as “competition,” “giveaway” and “live draw” could further reduce scrutiny, although a promotion’s legal status depends on how it operates rather than how it is described.
Participants could be directed from social media to external websites, PayPal pages, bank transfers or private messaging channels to purchase entries. Familiar payment methods made the process feel like an ordinary online transaction.
PayPal was the most commonly reported payment method among the 395 respondents who had engaged with a TikTok raffle, at 49%. Debit cards followed at 35%, while 30% reported seeing or using TikTok gifts.
The UKGC warned that this smooth journey can create false reassurance. Moving off-platform may leave consumers with less information about the host, entry terms and available protections if something goes wrong.
Under the Gambling Act 2005, most online lotteries require a society lottery licence from the Gambling Commission or registration with a local authority. They must generally raise money for a good cause rather than private or commercial gain.
A paid-entry draw operated for profit, with the winner determined entirely by chance, is therefore likely to be illegal when its host lacks the required authorisation.
The research excludes the National Lottery, licensed society lotteries, genuine free giveaways and lawful prize competitions or free draws. It also stresses that consumers entering an illegal lottery are not committing an offence; responsibility rests with the person or organisation operating it.
Reports of suspected illegal TikTok lotteries increased during 2025 compared with 2024, although the Commission did not disclose exact totals.
UKGC enforcement helped remove 252 illegal lotteries from social media over the past 12 months. Future intervention may involve website providers, social-media companies and payment businesses alongside direct action against promoters.
This approach supports the focus on payments and advertising within the UK’s Illegal Gambling Taskforce. It also comes as the UKGC and Committee of Advertising Practice expand automated monitoring of gambling-related social-media content.
The Commission acknowledged that overall participation remains low and that the research had limitations. Only one host was interviewed, while researchers struggled to recruit younger participants despite the survey indicating that adults aged 18 to 24 were more likely to encounter or enter these draws on TikTok.
Nevertheless, the ease of moving from a livestream to an off-platform payment illustrates why consumer reporting alone may not be enough to identify and disrupt illegal raffles.
