What is a skill question, and why does it matter?

Why the question exists at all

It is not a gimmick. Under the Gambling Act 2005, a prize competition avoids being an unlicensed lottery if entering takes a genuine element of skill, knowledge or judgement, or if there is a free entry route of equal standing.

The skill question is how most competitions meet the first test. Remove it and the free route, and what is left is a lottery, which is a criminal offence to run without a licence.

What makes a question "genuine"

The law cares whether skill, knowledge or judgement is actually involved, and whether a wrong answer really disqualifies the entry. A question nobody could fail does not count.

In practice the questions are usually straightforward, a quick general-knowledge or arithmetic question, but they are checked, and an incorrect answer voids the entry. So it is worth reading before you tap.

It applies to free entries too

The skill question is not just for paying entrants. A free postal entry has to answer it correctly as well, exactly like a paid ticket.

That equal treatment is deliberate: the free route has to carry the same requirements and the same odds, or it would not do its job of keeping the competition lawful.

The one mistake to avoid

The commonest way people lose an entry is rushing the question. It usually takes a second, and getting it wrong throws the entry away, win or not.

So slow down for the one question. It is the cheapest insurance on the site.

Common questions

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