Oldborough Retreat Devon property competition sells out!

When Brian and Wendy Wilshaw launched their Devon property with fishing win a house competition in June, few people expected them to successfully sell out all targeted 46,000 tickets by December. Following an impressive marketing campaign across TV, newspaper and online channels, the couple announced that they successfully raised £1.15 million two months early by selling tickets at £25 each.

The Oldborough Retreat competition required players to answer a simple question on the competition website. Although the competition was scheduled to run until 7 December 2008, it appears the Wilshaws were able to generate sufficient momentum to carry it through. Given the success of this house competition, there is little doubt that other similar ones will be launched in the coming weeks and months as homeowners try to find alternative ways of selling their properties.

However, following the widespread marketing campagin, there is speculation that the Gambling Commission, the body that oversees all gaming activities in the UK, may be focusing its attention on this house competition. In fact, certain legal experts have suggested that the competition may not be considered a prize competition under UK law, but rather a game of chance or lottery. It is illegal to run a raffle or lottery for profit in the UK unless it is organised by a licensed charity or non-profit organisation. However, the value of raffle prizes may not exceed £400,000.

If the Oldborough Retreat competition is deemed a game of chance, the Wilshaws may need to demonstrate to the Gambling Commission why they believe it is a legal prize competition. It seems that the main distinction lies in determining whether players were required to demonstrate skill and judgement when entering the competition, and how this is defined. If, on the other hand, the Devon property with fishing competition concludes successfully, this could pave the way for lots of other copycat house competitions in the UK in particular.