The short answer: yes, and by law
Free postal entries really do win, and they have exactly the same chance of winning as a paid ticket. This is not goodwill, it is the law. Under the Gambling Act 2005, a paid prize competition or free draw in the UK must offer a genuine free entry route, usually by post, that carries the same chance as a paid entry. If it did not, it would legally be a lottery, which is why understanding this also explains why a prize draw is not gambling.
Why competitions offer a free route
A paid competition where the only way in is to pay would count as a lottery under UK law, and running a lottery without the right licence is illegal. The free entry route is what keeps a paid competition lawful. It removes the requirement to pay, so the activity is a legitimate prize competition or free draw rather than gambling. That is why every reputable UK platform, including Odds Up, provides one, and it is set out clearly in UK competition law.
Same draw, same odds
A free postal entry is not placed in a separate, lesser pool. It goes into the same draw as every paid ticket and has the same chance of being picked. A platform that gave postal entries worse odds, or quietly ignored them, would be breaking the law.
How postal entries are treated in the draw
When your postal entry is received and processed, it is allocated a ticket in exactly the same way as a paid entry. When the draw runs, every ticket, paid or free, is treated identically. On a provably fair platform, you can even verify after the draw that the winning ticket was selected fairly from the full pool, which removes any doubt about whether free entries were really included.
Why some people doubt it
The scepticism is understandable. If a company makes money from paid tickets, why would it let people in for free? The answer is simply that it has no choice if it wants to operate legally, and a serious platform builds the free route into its process rather than hiding it. The warning sign is not the existence of a free route, but a free route that is hard to find, loaded with awkward conditions, or buried in the small print. A clear, easy free entry option is actually a sign of a trustworthy platform.
How to enter by post
- Create a free account so your postal entry can be matched to your profile.
- Write a postcard or letter with your full name, registered email address, and the exact competition name.
- Post it to the address shown on the competition page, in good time to arrive before the deadline.
- Remember that one free postal entry is allowed per paid competition, and it counts towards any maximum ticket limit.
Keep it simple and on time
Send your postal entry early so it arrives before the competition closes, and include exactly the details the platform asks for. A missing email address or competition name is the most common reason a free entry cannot be matched to an account.
Free entry on Odds Up
On Odds Up, every paid competition has a free postal entry route shown on the same page as the paid option, not hidden away. Free entries go into the same draw as paid tickets and carry the same odds, and because our draws are provably fair, anyone can verify the result. We also run genuinely free competitions alongside paid ones, so there is always a way to take part without paying.