UK Voluntary Code — measures we have adopted (v6, 16 July 2026 — extends 1.9 Instant wins to postal entries, expands 2.4 Free entry route with implementation evidence)
The UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published a Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators. The Code has three sections: Player Protections, Transparency, and Accountability. This page lists the measures we have in place under each one.
We are signatories to the Code and we comply with every measure that is currently in scope for our business. The Code's implementation date was 20 May 2026; this page is current as of 16 July 2026.
▍1. Player protections#
1.1 Age verification (Code, Section 1.1) We verify that every player is 18 or older at signup and again at checkout. We do not target marketing at anyone under 18.
1.2 Complaints process (Code, Section 1.2) Our complaints process is documented in our Terms. Disputes unresolved after our internal review can be raised with an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider. Our support team replies to any complaint within five working days.
1.3 Credit-card limits (Code, Section 1.3) The Code caps credit-card entries at £250 per player per month and bans credit-card entries on instant-win comps entirely. We enforce both rules at the gateway level — pending the integration of our full payment gateway, these limits are enforced at the reservation endpoint.
1.4 Spend limits (Code, Section 1.4) Players can set their own monthly spend limit, including £0 to freeze new entries. The default for new signups is £250/month. The limit is set in Account → Website Credit → Monthly spend limit.
1.5 Suspension + pause + closure (Code, Section 1.5) Players can pause their account for a week up to 12 months, close their account permanently, or (for admin-set suspensions) remain suspended for a minimum of 6 months. While paused or suspended, no entries can be made and no marketing emails are sent.
1.6 Harm monitoring (Code, Section 1.6) We record light-mode harm signals on player accounts: spend-limit hits, repeat entries in short windows, late-night activity, and admin-flagged concerns. Admin notifications alert the support team to investigate. We do not yet block entries automatically on signal — this is on our roadmap pending legal review.
1.7 Tailored intervention (Code, Section 1.7) When a harm signal is escalated, our team reaches out to the player via email to discuss the issue. The aim is always to support the player, not to remove the account without their knowledge.
1.8 Signposting to support (Code, Section 1.8) The footer of every page links to BeGambleAware, Samaritans, Mind, Citizens Advice, Money Advice Trust and National Debtline. We have a dedicated Responsible play page listing each organisation and what they help with.
1.9 Instant wins (Code, Section 1.9) Instant wins are a small share of our total active competitions at any given time. Both paid and free postal entries are eligible for instant-win prizes on identical terms. When a paid entry is confirmed, or a postal entry is processed by our team, the allocated ticket numbers are run through the same instant-win check — same function, same prize pool, same per-user and global win caps, same cooldown. There is no separate pool for paid and postal entries and no separate instant-win flow for either route. The free postal route is offered on every instant-win competition.
1.10 Marketing & advertising (Code, Section 1.10) All of our advertising follows the CAP Code and the BCAP Code. We do not suggest that prize draws are an escape from financial or personal problems.
▍2. Transparency#
2.1 Game mechanism (Code, Section 2.1) Every competition page states how the prize draw is conducted (verifiably random RNG, with seed hash published before draw).
2.2 Fair award (Code, Section 2.2) Winners are chosen by a computer process producing verifiably random and auditable results. Both paid and free postal entries have an equal chance of winning. Every competition has a single pool of ticket numbers, numbered 1 to N, and both paid and postal entries take their ticket number from that same pool. There is no reserved allocation, no weighted branch, and no second bucket for one route or the other. When the draw runs at the closing date, the winner is picked at random from every active entry on that competition — paid and postal are simply entries in the same list. The draw itself does not distinguish between them.
2.3 Probability disclosure (Code, Section 2.3) Every competition page states "Your chance of winning with one ticket is 1 in N" — calculated against the total tickets available for that comp.
2.4 Free entry route (Code, Section 2.4) Every competition page presents the free postal entry route at equal or greater prominence to the paid route. The address, the postcard format, and (where the Promoter has enabled it) the skill-question requirement are all stated up-front.
The free route is a standard unenclosed postcard, posted by the entrant at their convenience, to:
> Ticket Hive Competitions > Ticket Hive LTD > Lytchett House, 13 Freeland Park, Wareham Road, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6FA
Writing a postcard takes a few minutes. There is no account required to read the instructions, no payment data captured, no minimum spend, and no registration wall in front of the address. The route genuinely is a stamp and a card.
The free postal route is disclosed to players at the following points:
- A dedicated "Free postal entry route" card sits at the top of the entry panel on every competition page, with the postal address in full and a button that opens a step-by-step helper explaining exactly what to write on the postcard. The card sits above the paid entry panel, not below it.
- The paid entry panel itself includes a "Free postal entry also available" link directly under the price and buy button.
- The site footer and the homepage both carry a permanent link to a full `/free-postal-entry` guide.
- Every purchase confirmation email restates the free postal route and the address, so the option is disclosed at the point of sale as well as on the page itself.
The disclosure is not a footnote or a T&Cs link — it is a full visual card with the address inline, badges for "Identical odds", "No payment" and "UK only · 18+", and a one-click printable cheatsheet, weighted to match the paid route.
2.5 Cash alternative (Code, Section 2.5) We never decrease the prize value due to low ticket entries, never change the draw date, and never cancel a draw. Where the Competition has not been fully entered by the closing date, the winner receives a 75% cash alternative based on revenue, or Website Credit if the amount is below £20.
2.6 Charitable contributions (Code, Section 2.6) Not applicable — we do not solicit charitable contributions as part of any draw.
2.7 Free entry route — implementation evidence To evidence that the free entry route is genuinely effective and on equal terms to the paid route, we summarise the design below. The free postal route is neither more expensive nor less convenient than the paid route: it is a standard unenclosed postcard, written in a few minutes, posted by the entrant at their convenience, without any account or interaction with the website purchase flow.
The free route is genuinely effective rather than nominal for three reasons. First, the postal address is published in full on every competition page, not hidden behind a terms link or a coupon code — the free postal card sits above the paid button with the address inline, with no click-to-reveal, no "see T&Cs" and no email gate. Second, tickets are allocated the moment a postcard is processed: once our team logs a postcard against a competition, a unique ticket number is drawn from the same pool as paid tickets and the entry is recorded immediately, with no second-class state where a postal entry only counts if enough paid entries come in. Third, identical odds are stated in plain English on the page itself — the competition page includes a "Your chance of winning" block that says every ticket has an equal chance of winning and that free postal entries have the same odds as paid entries, and the helper modal for the postal route says the same thing with a printable cheatsheet the entrant can keep next to their postcard. A participant who never creates an account and never visits checkout can still enter and still win.
▍3. Accountability#
3.1 Internal review (Code, Section 3.1) We review compliance with the Voluntary Code monthly. Improvements are tracked in our public roadmap.
3.2 Public disclosure (Code, Section 3.2) This page lists every measure we have in place. It is reviewed and updated whenever the Code is revised.
Where this page and the Code ever disagree, the Code is authoritative. We are working to keep them aligned.