Omaze Free Entry: How the Postal Route Works

Why does Omaze have a free entry route?

The Omaze free entry postal route is not a promotional offer — it is a legal requirement. Prize competitions in the UK avoid lottery licensing under section 14 and Schedule 2 of the Gambling Act 2005 by maintaining a free-entry route that is genuinely open to all, on terms no more expensive or less convenient than paying to enter. Without this route, a paid-entry draw decided by random selection would likely constitute an unlicensed lottery, which is illegal.

This means every Omaze UK draw is required to accept postal entries at no cost, on the same terms as paid entries. It is not a secondary tier of participation — free entries go into the same pool as paid entries, and one free entry has the same chance of winning as one £10 entry (which may include multiple individual entries, depending on the bundle). What you are paying for when you buy an entry bundle is additional entries, not a better class of participation.

What do you write on the free entry letter?

The required information varies slightly between draws, but Omaze’s terms and conditions consistently ask for the following on a plain, unlined piece of paper:

• Your full name
• Your home address (including postcode)
• Your date of birth
• Your email address

Do not include payment details, reference numbers or anything else unless the specific draw’s T&Cs ask for it. Some draws add small extra requirements — such as a reference number or a specific handwriting format — so always check the live draw’s T&Cs on omaze.co.uk before writing your letter, rather than relying on what a previous draw required.

Write clearly in block capitals where the T&Cs say to do so. Using an envelope of any standard size is fine. Do not fold the paper more than necessary.

Where do you send the free entry?

The postal address for free entries is published in the terms and conditions of the specific live draw on omaze.co.uk. There is no single permanent Omaze free-entry address; each draw specifies its own, so always check the current T&Cs rather than reusing an address from a previous draw.

Steps to find the address:

1. Go to omaze.co.uk and open the active draw.
2. Scroll to the terms and conditions link (usually at the bottom of the draw page).
3. Find the “free entry” or “no purchase necessary” section.
4. Copy the address exactly as printed.

Send your letter by standard first- or second-class post. There is no requirement to send it tracked or recorded, though you may choose to do so for your own records.

What is the deadline for free entries?

Free entries must arrive by the deadline stated in the draw’s terms and conditions, which can be the same closing date as paid entries or an earlier one. Under the government’s Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators (in force from 20 May 2026), operators must allow sufficient time for a posted free entry to be validly received before a draw closes, which is why some draws set a postal deadline ahead of the online paid-entry deadline. Entries received after the deadline are not included in the draw, regardless of the postmark date. Allow at least five working days for standard post, and check the specific draw’s T&Cs for its exact postal cut-off.

How many free entries can you submit?

Omaze’s terms and conditions specify whether there is a cap on the number of free postal entries per person per draw, and this limit has varied between draws. Check the current live draw’s T&Cs for the exact figure rather than assuming it matches a previous draw. If the T&Cs state a maximum, that limit applies. Submitting multiple letters within a permitted limit is straightforward — each is a separate piece of paper sent in a separate envelope.

Does a free entry give you the same chance as a paid entry?

One free postal entry gives the same individual probability of winning as one individual entry purchased as part of a paid bundle. When you buy a bundle, you receive a set number of individual entries for your money, and the exact entries-per-pound ratio varies by draw — check the live draw page on omaze.co.uk for current pricing. A single free postal entry is equivalent to exactly one of those individual entries, regardless of how the current bundle pricing is structured.

If you want to maximise your odds without spending money, you could theoretically submit multiple free postal entries, within any stated per-person limit. However, given that Omaze draws are estimated to attract entries ranging from the hundreds of thousands into the millions, the odds remain very long regardless of how many free letters you send. See our guide to Omaze odds of winning for the full calculation.

Has anyone won Omaze using a free entry?

Free and paid entries sit in exactly the same pool with exactly the same odds, so a free-entry winner is a normal statistical outcome given enough postal submissions, not a remote possibility. Omaze does not publish which entry route each winner used, so we cannot confirm specific cases — but there is no reason to think free-entry winners are treated any differently once drawn.

For a dedicated look at confirmed free-entry win cases, see our article on Omaze free entry winners.

Is it worth entering Omaze for free?

It costs nothing but the price of a stamp and a few minutes. The odds are long — the same long odds that paid entrants face — but the downside is limited to 85p or so for a second-class stamp. Whether the expected value justifies the effort is a question of your time, not your money.

For context on how Omaze draws work overall, including the charity donation model and how winners are selected, see our full Omaze review.