Players engage in social lotteries, but they skip checking their legality

• Gambling Commission has shared the findings of commissioned research looking into TikTok-driven raffles
• These raffles appeal to consumers by offering low ticket prices, familiar payment methods, and other perks
• Researchers did not manage to engage with individuals aged 18-24 in sufficient numbers to garner further insights

The Gambling Commission, the United Kingdom’s gambling regulator, continues to examine and address key parts of the gaming experience in the country. In a research published on August 13, 2026, the watchdog cited recent data analyzed by Research and Impact Manager Rupam Jagota.

TikTok illegal lotteries and raffles under scrutiny by the UKGC

Jagota examined how consumers engaged with lotteries, specifically the types of activities the regulator has deemed illegal lotteries and raffles. The data suggest that consumers are not immediately aware of a lottery game's legality, especially when it is promoted on social media, highlighting a twofold problem.

The Gambling Commission is set to investigate instances of such lotteries and raffle games as reports jumped between 2024 and 2025 on TikTok. A study conducted by Yonder Consulting helped establish how consumers engaged with such products, where they found them, how often they participated - or were willing to- as well as what motivated consumers to try these lotteries.

The study concluded that people would typically encounter such lotteries and raffles through TikTok live streams, with these often serving as a gateway to off-platform experiences. In other words, the report established that once initial contact was established on TikTok, consumers could be asked to visit other platforms or use separate gateways.

Interestingly, consumers did not rank the legality of a lottery or raffle as uppermost of their priorities. Rather, consumers appeared to genuinely care about whether the lottery they were participating in offered a real chance of winning money, and whether it appeared that it would pay rewards when won.

Gambling Commission highlights issues with raffles and why consumers ought to be careful

These illegal lotteries also appear to be aware of what drives engagement, and are responding in kind.

Consumers cared about ticket prices, preferring low-cost ones, informal presentations, familiar payment methods, and what the Gambling Commission described as "lowered perceived risk."

According to the Gambling Commission, despite these features, the lottery still invites risks, as once people are sent to private chat groups or platforms, the rules of these raffles become much less clear.

Raffle hosts also often appear not to understand the rules or mischaracterize them to their audiences.

Researchers noted that people aged 18-24 were the most likely to have participated in these raffles, but researchers were unable to engage with the age group to interview them further.

This is the latest research-focused blog post by the Gambling Commission, following a previous publication looking to explain why identity verifications sometimes fail at licensed operators.

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