The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld complaints against UK competition sites for the same few things: free entry routes that are hard to find, closing dates that move when tickets don’t sell, and cash prizes worth far less than the advertised one. Here are three rulings, with links to read them yourself.
KS Competitions Ltd, 2 December 2020
The ASA upheld all three complaints about a promotion on kscompetitions.co.uk. The ad said the closing date would be extended, up to four times, if tickets were not sold. The ASA found that “not selling all available tickets did not constitute unavoidable circumstances outside of the advertisers’ control”. If tickets didn’t sell out, the winner would get “a cash prize of 70% of all the tickets bought” instead of the advertised set, and the ASA said that disclosure was not enough to dispel the impression that entrants were competing for the advertised prize. The free entry route was a line of small print telling people to look up the terms. (ASA ruling on KS Competitions Ltd.)
Hydro Solutions Fylde Ltd (Elite Competitions), 6 May 2020
The ASA upheld complaints that the free entry route was not clear and prominent, that the closing date was extended if tickets didn’t sell out, and that a cash alternative of 70% of ticket sales was not equivalent to the advertised prizes. It found a prize of 70% of ticket sales “not a reasonable equivalent to the first prize of £10,000”. The ASA also found a breach for unreasonable delay because the advertiser gave no substantive response to its enquiries. (ASA ruling on Hydro Solutions Fylde Ltd.)
HMV Competitions, 11 April 2018
The ASA upheld a complaint about a draw whose closing date was extended and whose prize was reduced from a house to £7,000 cash. The ASA found the date change was the promoter’s choice, not an unavoidable circumstance, and that the postal entry instructions were separated from the ticket-buying links and easy to miss. (ASA ruling on HMV Competitions.)
The rule behind all three
The advertising code says closing dates must not be changed unless unavoidable circumstances beyond the promoter’s control make it necessary, and that any free entry route should be explained clearly and prominently. Slow sales are the promoter’s business risk, not an unavoidable circumstance.
Every ruling we cover
- Amazing Giveaways, 13 August 2025: a £3,000 holiday prize not awarded because sales didn’t cover it. Upheld.
- Royalux Competitions, 15 January 2025: the terms changed after a supplier’s relative won. Upheld.
- KS Competitions, 2 December 2020: extensions, a 70% cash fallback and small-print free entry. Upheld.
- Elite Competitions, 6 May 2020: free entry, extensions and a 70% cash alternative. Upheld.
- HMV Competitions, 11 April 2018: a house draw extended and cut to £7,000 cash. Upheld.
- Hendy Group, 29 November 2017: a staff relative’s relation won a car. Not upheld.
Since November 2025 there is also a government code for prize draw operators: 18+ only, spend limits and verifiably random draws. See UK prize draw rules and the 2026 code.
These rulings are historic and say nothing about any site’s terms today. Read the terms of any site you enter.
How Hoardsy runs its competitions
- Closing dates are never extended for slow sales.
- There’s no minimum number of sales: every prize stands, sold out or not.
- Every competition page shows its prizes and your chance per ticket before you enter.
- Every competition can be entered free by post, with the same chances as a paid ticket. See free postal entry.
Keep reading
- What the ASA has ruled on UK competition sites
- Are online prize draws legit?
- Cash alternatives explained
- Instant win vs end draw
- How a provably fair draw works
Last checked 12 October 2026.
Hoardsy
See the competitions
Choose a draw or an instant game. Every prize and its chance is on the page before you enter.
18+, Great Britain only. Free postal entry on every competition.
