Is Postcode Lottery Worth It?
The honest answer depends on why you play. Here are the facts to decide with.
Is it legit?
Yes. Postcode Lottery is run by Postcode Lottery Limited, licensed by the Gambling Commission (account 829), on behalf of 20 Postcode Trusts that are registered Scottish charities. Draws use certified random number software and are overseen by an independent adjudicator. It has run in Great Britain since 2005, and in 2025 it paid out £293.9 million in prizes.
Where your money goes
- At least 30% goes to charity through the trusts: £236.9 million in 2025.
- About 40% goes back to players as prizes.
- The rest runs the lottery: draws, payments, marketing and staff.
Is it worth it for the prizes?
On average, a ticket gets back about 40p of each £1 as prizes, so over time most players win back less than they pay in. In return, the chance of winning something is high: the operator reports that 84% of players won a prize in 2025, mostly £15 prizes and vouchers. A £1,000 win is better than 1 in 2,000 a ticket; see the odds explained.
Worth it if: you want to support charities and enjoy a small chance of a neighbourly windfall for £12.50 a month. Not worth it if: you need the money back; nothing guarantees a return.
Postcode Lottery scams
- A letter, text, email or call saying you have won and must pay a “release”, “admin” or “tax” fee. Real prizes never cost anything.
- Requests for your bank login, card number or a one-time passcode.
- Messages from personal email addresses or unknown numbers urging you to act fast.
Unsure? Check the postcode with our postcode checker, then contact the operator through the official website, never through details in the message. Report scams to Action Fraud.
Never pay to claim. Real winners are paid automatically and are never asked for a fee, bank login or card number. A letter, text or call asking for money is a scam.
Questions
Is Postcode Lottery a scam?
No. It is a licensed society lottery run by Postcode Lottery Limited (Gambling Commission account 829) for 20 registered charitable trusts. Scams that use its name do exist: letters, texts and calls asking for a fee to release a prize.
Is it a con that most money doesn’t come back as prizes?
It is a charity lottery, so it is designed that way: about 40% of ticket money goes to prizes and at least 30% to charity. If winning money back is the only goal, a savings account beats any lottery.
How do real winners hear about it?
Small wins by email or text, big ones by phone or letter, often with a visit from the team. Prizes are paid automatically, and nobody is ever asked to pay a fee.