The DCMS Prize Draw Code Is Growing — Is Your Compliance Ready to Be Seen?

The UK Government’s Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators is no longer just a launch announcement. On 10 August 2026, the GOV.UK guidance recorded three more operator signatories: Fans Chance, TradeyComps and Ventus Competitions.

That update may look administrative, but it signals something important for the UK prize draw sector. The Code is becoming a visible reference point for responsible operators — and as more businesses sign up, consumers, partners and future regulators will have a clearer way to distinguish platforms that take standards seriously from those that simply say they do.

A growing signatory list changes the market

The DCMS Code was created for prize draws and competitions with both paid and free entry routes. These draws do not require a licence under the Gambling Act 2005 because a free route is available, but their position outside licensed gambling does not remove the need for strong consumer protections.

The market is substantial: government research estimates annual activity at £1.3 billion, involving 7.4 million adults and more than 400 operators. The same research found that 88% of prize draw participants also take part in commercial gambling or lotteries. That overlap makes responsible operation more than a branding exercise. It is central to maintaining confidence in a fast-growing, gambling-adjacent market.

Every new signatory makes the Code more meaningful as a shared baseline. It also raises the question that players will increasingly ask: is an operator’s commitment visible, current and independently credible?

Compliance is more than displaying a logo

The Code covers three connected areas: player protections, transparency and accountability. That includes limiting participation to people aged 18 and over, using reasonable age verification, providing a transparent complaints and dispute-resolution process, and restricting credit card use — including a complete ban on credit card payments for instant-win prize draws.

Those measures need to work in practice, not just appear in terms and conditions. A responsible operator should be able to show how age checks are applied, how complaints are logged and escalated, how the free entry route is presented, and how its promotional claims are supported.

This is where the difference between self-declaration and certification becomes significant. A signatory list can show who has committed to the Code. Independent assessment can show how that commitment is embedded in the operation day to day.

Certification turns good intentions into evidence

For operators, UKCPSA Certification provides a structured way to assess their platform against the principles of the DCMS Code. It gives businesses a practical framework for identifying gaps, strengthening processes and demonstrating that player protection and transparency are part of normal operations — not a response prepared only when someone asks difficult questions.

It also gives consumers a clearer signal. In a market where hundreds of operators compete for attention, an independently assessed certification mark can help a responsible business stand apart. It tells players that the operator is willing to be examined against a recognised standard and to support its claims with evidence.

Certification should not replace careful legal, advertising or data-protection advice, and the voluntary Code does not replace existing obligations under consumer, advertising or data-protection law. But it can provide an important layer of governance between broad legal requirements and the operational detail of running a trustworthy prize draw.

The next step is proving consistency

The addition of Fans Chance, TradeyComps and Ventus Competitions is a positive sign for the sector. More operators joining the Code means higher expectations, greater visibility and a stronger incentive for platforms to make responsible practice part of their competitive identity.

The operators best placed for that future will not treat compliance as a one-off announcement. They will build repeatable processes, keep clear records, review their controls and make fairness understandable to the people entering their draws.

If your business wants to turn its commitment to responsible prize draws into something demonstrable, get certified with UKCPSA. Our certification process helps operators align their practices with the DCMS Code and build the evidence needed to earn lasting consumer confidence.