Has anyone else struggled with gambling on car competitions?
Discussion
Hi all,
I wanted to open up a conversation about something that doesn’t often get talked about – the gambling side of competition sites like Rev Comps, 7 Days Performance, BOTB, Elite Competitions and others.
For me, what started as “just a bit of fun” quickly turned into spending more than I’d ever planned. It got me thinking that I can’t be the only one who’s found these sites addictive or hard to step away from.
I’m not here to judge or point fingers – just to create a safe space where people can be honest about their experiences. Whether you’ve managed to keep it casual, had to pull yourself out, or are still finding it difficult, it would be good to hear how others have dealt with it.
Sometimes it helps just knowing you’re not the only one, so if you feel comfortable, share your thoughts.
I wanted to open up a conversation about something that doesn’t often get talked about – the gambling side of competition sites like Rev Comps, 7 Days Performance, BOTB, Elite Competitions and others.
For me, what started as “just a bit of fun” quickly turned into spending more than I’d ever planned. It got me thinking that I can’t be the only one who’s found these sites addictive or hard to step away from.
I’m not here to judge or point fingers – just to create a safe space where people can be honest about their experiences. Whether you’ve managed to keep it casual, had to pull yourself out, or are still finding it difficult, it would be good to hear how others have dealt with it.
Sometimes it helps just knowing you’re not the only one, so if you feel comfortable, share your thoughts.
Massive thread on car competitions running here https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Not read the whole thing, so no idea if the negative side of these competitions has been mentioned?
Not read the whole thing, so no idea if the negative side of these competitions has been mentioned?
I had a punt on winning an M3 at Christmas. Spent around £20 on tickets as a "one off" present for myself. didn't win.
Not long after, my FB feed was ads for every other competition where I could win bikes, cars, houses, cash you name it. The algorithm was obviously on to me and I had a few more splurges, but not for tickets of great value.
I can see how it becomes addictive. A lad at my place actually won an 80K M3 comp on one of the competitions and I queried him whether it was lucky or how much had he spent in order to win - turns out he was spending around £200 / month for the last few years so when you look at it like that, its not such a great win.
Not long after, my FB feed was ads for every other competition where I could win bikes, cars, houses, cash you name it. The algorithm was obviously on to me and I had a few more splurges, but not for tickets of great value.
I can see how it becomes addictive. A lad at my place actually won an 80K M3 comp on one of the competitions and I queried him whether it was lucky or how much had he spent in order to win - turns out he was spending around £200 / month for the last few years so when you look at it like that, its not such a great win.
I'm super sympathetic to the "problem" and made a decision not to buy the tickets as it feels a way to get drawn in very easily. I think frustration at not winning would drive me to spend more than I wanted to. Not sure whether that is in any way helpful, but I certainly see how it could get to ta difficult place.
The only way I play it is when it's 25p a ticket and I could win, say, an R8. I'll buy one ticket. This happens about once a month so it's neither here nor there. I imagine there are people who might buy 1000 tickets, playing every week and not win for months.
I just like the idea that if I do win, it would have cost me 25p. Or maybe £1.25 given the number of times I've played.
If you're spending enough to actually buy a car had you not gambled then you either need to
1) have a word with yourself
or
2) double down to make sure you win next time.
I just like the idea that if I do win, it would have cost me 25p. Or maybe £1.25 given the number of times I've played.
If you're spending enough to actually buy a car had you not gambled then you either need to
1) have a word with yourself
or
2) double down to make sure you win next time.
Has the OP ever been addicted to other forms of gambling or just the car sites?
I think its very hard to imagine what gambling addiction is like unless you have a propensity for it yourself. For most people, its a bit of fun you can walk away from. I will sometimes play for a few quid when its a car I particularly aspire to. Personally, I cannot understand playing for cars I don't want to own. Mathematically, I get some might be playing better odds and the prize is irrelevant, but that sounds alarm bells to me in itself when you look at the odds in general. Likewise, when some take the cash it seems a bit odd to me but appreciate faced with a decision of a substantial cash sum or a shiny new toy its not always as easy to choose the latter, "free" or otherwise.
I can't imagine ever entering these competitions and thinking anything other than it was a bit of fun and the money lost. We all dare to dream, but then when I see people spending hundreds it makes me concerned they are hedging their bets and, as with bookies being in the deprived areas, it often seems those who can least afford to lose these sums are the ones going big in the desperate hope it will pay off. Those who could afford to lose it could probably afford just to buy the prize.
I must admit I am surprised the workarounds still apply to avoid regulation, although I am not sure I see regulated betting deals with the issue of addiction very well.
I think its very hard to imagine what gambling addiction is like unless you have a propensity for it yourself. For most people, its a bit of fun you can walk away from. I will sometimes play for a few quid when its a car I particularly aspire to. Personally, I cannot understand playing for cars I don't want to own. Mathematically, I get some might be playing better odds and the prize is irrelevant, but that sounds alarm bells to me in itself when you look at the odds in general. Likewise, when some take the cash it seems a bit odd to me but appreciate faced with a decision of a substantial cash sum or a shiny new toy its not always as easy to choose the latter, "free" or otherwise.
I can't imagine ever entering these competitions and thinking anything other than it was a bit of fun and the money lost. We all dare to dream, but then when I see people spending hundreds it makes me concerned they are hedging their bets and, as with bookies being in the deprived areas, it often seems those who can least afford to lose these sums are the ones going big in the desperate hope it will pay off. Those who could afford to lose it could probably afford just to buy the prize.
I must admit I am surprised the workarounds still apply to avoid regulation, although I am not sure I see regulated betting deals with the issue of addiction very well.
Not really gambling or addiction for me, but way back many years ago I won a brand new Peugeot 205 GTI (yup, that long ago) in a newspaper competition where you simply wrote your name and address on the back of an envelope and posted it back to the newspaper competitions department.
I don’t remember ever previously entering a competition but, after winning the car totally out of the blue, I think I entered every single competition in every newspaper for months and even bought the magazines you could get with all the competitions in them. Back then they were all free to enter and I don’t think I won anything else and guess the “addiction” must have faded over time but I can see how easily one can get hooked on things.
I don’t remember ever previously entering a competition but, after winning the car totally out of the blue, I think I entered every single competition in every newspaper for months and even bought the magazines you could get with all the competitions in them. Back then they were all free to enter and I don’t think I won anything else and guess the “addiction” must have faded over time but I can see how easily one can get hooked on things.
Hoofy said:
If you're spending enough to actually buy a car had you not gambled then you either need to
1) have a word with yourself
or
2) double down to make sure you win next time.
I realise you are joking, and that was a tongue-in-cheek response, but there are people out there who ask themselves that very question and really do repeatedly choose option 2, and doing so can destroy lives.1) have a word with yourself
or
2) double down to make sure you win next time.
I'm not sure about these car raffle competitions, and I am not trying to be negative about any particular company here, but I know a lot of other gambling companies make most of their profits from the small number of problem gamblers who spend far more than they should. Their business model relies on exploiting people with a problem.
As you say, it is gambling. So I guess just add up how much you actually spend on tickets a month, decide if that's too much, and try and stick to your limit. If you can't stick to a limit, then seek professional help.
Though it really depends how much you spend. I used to go play poker every week, £10 buy in. So £40 a month. Rarely won anything. But I decided it was still fun, though I have cut back as I wasn't enjoying it as much.
So... without knowing your personal circumstances, my limit is probably £50 or so a month. Others may have higher or lower limits.
Though it really depends how much you spend. I used to go play poker every week, £10 buy in. So £40 a month. Rarely won anything. But I decided it was still fun, though I have cut back as I wasn't enjoying it as much.
So... without knowing your personal circumstances, my limit is probably £50 or so a month. Others may have higher or lower limits.
I have never participated in these, as I amn't wired that way, I am too much of a tight fisted 
when it comes to these things, but i get bombarded daily with the ads for retro car and bike comps so the algorithm has decided thats what to push, but i do notice the same vehicles popping up on different ones recycled after a few months it all appears very scammy and they must be making a few quid off it from what they spend on pushing it.
Its a curse on society.
when it comes to these things, but i get bombarded daily with the ads for retro car and bike comps so the algorithm has decided thats what to push, but i do notice the same vehicles popping up on different ones recycled after a few months it all appears very scammy and they must be making a few quid off it from what they spend on pushing it.Its a curse on society.
ChocolateFrog said:
What do you mean by gambling? Just buying more and more tickets?
I've had 2 goes, think one of them was for less than £1. Didn't win either, obviously, probably won't do it again.
Over 6 years I’ve probably spent about bet 10k maybe more. I’ve stopped a few times but always get drawn back in through ads and texts etc I've had 2 goes, think one of them was for less than £1. Didn't win either, obviously, probably won't do it again.
Shnozz said:
Has the OP ever been addicted to other forms of gambling or just the car sites?
I think its very hard to imagine what gambling addiction is like unless you have a propensity for it yourself. For most people, its a bit of fun you can walk away from. I will sometimes play for a few quid when its a car I particularly aspire to. Personally, I cannot understand playing for cars I don't want to own. Mathematically, I get some might be playing better odds and the prize is irrelevant, but that sounds alarm bells to me in itself when you look at the odds in general. Likewise, when some take the cash it seems a bit odd to me but appreciate faced with a decision of a substantial cash sum or a shiny new toy its not always as easy to choose the latter, "free" or otherwise.
I can't imagine ever entering these competitions and thinking anything other than it was a bit of fun and the money lost. We all dare to dream, but then when I see people spending hundreds it makes me concerned they are hedging their bets and, as with bookies being in the deprived areas, it often seems those who can least afford to lose these sums are the ones going big in the desperate hope it will pay off. Those who could afford to lose it could probably afford just to buy the prize.
I must admit I am surprised the workarounds still apply to avoid regulation, although I am not sure I see regulated betting deals with the issue of addiction very well.
Never been addicted to other gambling sites etc, just a few small wins on rev comps and seeing people around me win big made me gamble more and more until it was out of controlI think its very hard to imagine what gambling addiction is like unless you have a propensity for it yourself. For most people, its a bit of fun you can walk away from. I will sometimes play for a few quid when its a car I particularly aspire to. Personally, I cannot understand playing for cars I don't want to own. Mathematically, I get some might be playing better odds and the prize is irrelevant, but that sounds alarm bells to me in itself when you look at the odds in general. Likewise, when some take the cash it seems a bit odd to me but appreciate faced with a decision of a substantial cash sum or a shiny new toy its not always as easy to choose the latter, "free" or otherwise.
I can't imagine ever entering these competitions and thinking anything other than it was a bit of fun and the money lost. We all dare to dream, but then when I see people spending hundreds it makes me concerned they are hedging their bets and, as with bookies being in the deprived areas, it often seems those who can least afford to lose these sums are the ones going big in the desperate hope it will pay off. Those who could afford to lose it could probably afford just to buy the prize.
I must admit I am surprised the workarounds still apply to avoid regulation, although I am not sure I see regulated betting deals with the issue of addiction very well.
I have struggled with this to an extent. At one point I was entering near enough every competition on RevComps and when I added it up I was at over £300 one month. Luckily I woke up before it went on too long having spent maybe a couple of thousand total with no wins. I then went down the postcard entry route before they stopped processing most of them and I stopped doing anything except the free draws with maybe £5 a month on actual tickets to keep me eligible.
All I won in the time I played extensively was £250 free credit which was spent within a week but nothing actually tangible. I found at the peak I was justifying how I could use any of the prizes rather than just going for what I actually liked.
I guess I have a bit of an addictive personality because I remember in the early days of online sports betting I was up by several hundred pounds due to betting on huge favourites which couldn't possibly lose. I lost every penny but stopped cold turkey when I realised how ridiculous it was to be betting £50 on Brazilian 3rd division football games to win £5.
Other than the aforementioned fiver, my only gambling now is the euromillions anytime it is UK to triple figures but I feel much more in control than previously and it's a bit of fun dreaming rather than chasing a win.
All I won in the time I played extensively was £250 free credit which was spent within a week but nothing actually tangible. I found at the peak I was justifying how I could use any of the prizes rather than just going for what I actually liked.
I guess I have a bit of an addictive personality because I remember in the early days of online sports betting I was up by several hundred pounds due to betting on huge favourites which couldn't possibly lose. I lost every penny but stopped cold turkey when I realised how ridiculous it was to be betting £50 on Brazilian 3rd division football games to win £5.
Other than the aforementioned fiver, my only gambling now is the euromillions anytime it is UK to triple figures but I feel much more in control than previously and it's a bit of fun dreaming rather than chasing a win.
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