to be so bored of radio stations going on nonstop about their scammy lottery type draws!

[ArtistBaptist]

It's so boring and annoying!

I'm in London and it feels like they're all doing it, well apart from BBC.

Just play the music.

Yes I hate it. DD hears it and thinks we ought to do it , so I've had to change radio stations to BBC ones so as not to let her hear that gambling drivel.

I’m so glad I’m at work on Fridays 5pm and I can’t answer my phone. I can’t enter a particular weekly draw and become a millionaire.

Oh yes I hate this too. Do you mean the ones where you have to answer and say a phrase or the ones where you pay to enter? I hate them all anyway.

You don’t have to pay to enter, they all have a free phone entry route, usually. It does baffle me why anyone would pay to enter via the expensive text message option.

Are you sure they have a free entry route?
I only ever hear text this number and it'll cost £2.50

Yes, look on the website for each one and you’ll find the phone numbers.

Why do you think they're a scam?

I suspect the free phone entries go straight in the bin.

I loathe it. I listen to Classic FM in the car, and it's far too frequent. Started before Christmas and I hope it was just a seasonal thing, but no. I can't understand why they don't have to have the 'always gamble responsibly' thing after every plug, since this is inciting people to gamble.

Maybe they do. But that is against the law, and if found out would result in a fine.

I also listen to Classic FM and find the increased frequency that the prize draw is mentioned to be irritating.

I also don't understand how it is allowed - if you look on the website there is an option to spend £50 in one text, this is gambling.

I don't see how it is legal.

But radio stations aren't making money from advertising anymore, so this is how they are financing their stations.

Which shows how much is being spent each week on texts as it is covering the prize money and making a profit.

It’s legal because it’s gambling. The rules about gambling apply, hence the free entry route and the detailed terms and conditions.

my friend won 10k via a free entry a couple of years ago

It is gambling, and to get round this, this is why there’s always a free entry route. In the same way Ant and Decs Saturday night show always had a free entry option (that often involved you posting a letter to them).

It’s not scammy, they have to follow very strict rules (and I believe the national lottery is on them if they break them as this does enter their space!), global runs one draw across all their radio stations to maximise income, which is why in London it feels like everyone but the bbc is doing it as it’s the same draw!

(they set the prize money, unlike the national lottery where it’s a percentage of ticket sales, so every entry above the prize amount + running costs is profit, hence them pushing like mad to get you to call.)

This type of thing is why I have only listened to music on Spotify for about a decade. I do not want to hear whatever crap they are spouting at 7am. I don’t understand why people submit themselves to someone else’s musical choices either.

I can't tolerate competition nonsense and radio ads so only listen to BBC radio. I'm strangely fond of the current radio 1 ticket competition format of "don't get it wrong" so the other person wins by default.

Always turn it off when these items are on.

You also know that the winner is going to be someone who knows someone at the station.

I hate it. It is relentless. It made me never want to listen to their station again. You cannot even avoid it by being a paid subscriber to their premium offering.

A free entry?! Thank you for that. I still can’t enter the one I hear a lot about as they announce the winners on Fridays after 5 and I’m still at work! But there’ll be others. I’d never enter one where you have to answer a question, however bland and easy, I know I’d just freeze and look a fool.

I stick to BBC Radios 4, 6 and London

I can’t think of anything worse, the unbearable pressure to be alert and imagine if was you and you missed it.

Nope- they are closely monitored, because it’s gambling and there are very strict rules around a lottery. Global radio’s current one (that goes across all the stations they own and so is everywhere!) has to be even more careful because there’s no competition question to be asked. You don’t have to answer a question, don’t have to know a special phrase etc so it is much closer to a full lottery than other competitions. The rules are stricter if it’s not a competition, just gambling. They could lose their licence to broadcast if they gave to price to someone linked to the station. Not worth it! (Far more likely, employees and their families aren’t allowed to enter.)

the rules round this is often why there’s a super easy question to be answered. It’s just box ticking that they asked a question /made you say the right phrase.

@FancyBiscuitsLevel that’s really interesting. I always wondered why the questions were so easy. Though I’d just freeze and get it wrong.

I gave up on music radio a long time ago (including radio 1 and 2).

I wasn't actually aware of these scams because they weren't really around 15 years ago. It was more all the "banter" between songs that got to me, as well as the adverts.

There are a few steaming services or you could use mp3s etc.