For most UK prize competition operators, paid social is the main growth channel. Before a single ad can run, though, the platform behind it has to pass scrutiny. Meta requires written approval for many prize competition ads, often referred to as an RMG licence, and the review looks closely at the website itself: whether entry is lawfully structured, whether age controls work, and whether the site behaves the way its terms say it does.
That turns ad approval into a development question. Under Section 14 of the Gambling Act 2005, the platform must enforce a skill question on paid entries or provide a free entry route with equal standing. The DCMS Voluntary Code of Good Practice adds spend limits, age verification, published draw dates and transparent odds. Payments need a specialist gateway, since Stripe and PayPal restrict competition ticket sales. A platform that gets these right is far easier to get approved, and to keep approved.
These seven development partners have built competition platforms in the UK market.
1. Nera Marketing
Nera Marketing rank first because they build competition platforms with ad approval in mind and support operators through the RMG licence process alongside the build. The compliance layer, including the skill question, equal-standing free entry, age verification and spend controls, is part of the platform architecture rather than a later addition, which is what Meta’s review is checking.
On the technical side, Nera builds on bespoke WooCommerce with specialist gateway integrations such as Cashflows, random.org for verifiable draws, instant win mechanics and checkout flows designed for draw-night concurrency. They manage merchant approval during the build, have delivered more than 50 competition platforms, and start packages at £2,995. Native iOS and Android apps are available from £3,995 on the same platform, so entry data stays consistent across both.
Best for: operators who want a platform built to pass ad and payment reviews from launch.
2. RaffleLabs
RaffleLabs build custom-coded competition platforms with no WordPress dependency, giving full control over the codebase and API layer. They have more than six years in the niche, and include responsible-play features such as spend limits, cool-off periods and self-exclusion as standard.
Those controls line up well with what advertising platforms look for. Ask directly how they support operators through ad approval, since that varies between developers.
Best for: technical teams who want a fully custom stack.
3. Weptile and ShopApper
Weptile develop on WooCommerce or custom PHP and Laravel depending on operator scale, and build native mobile apps through ShopApper. For operators planning push-notification campaigns alongside paid social, keeping the website and app with one developer simplifies entry-state consistency.
Best for: operators planning a website and app on one codebase.
4. Zap Competitions (Think Zap)
Zap Competitions have worked exclusively in competitions and raffles since 2009, and develop their own Competition Suite platform. A mature, widely used platform means many of the compliance features advertising reviews look for are already proven in production.
Best for: operators who prefer an established platform with ongoing support.
5. Design for Online
This Suffolk agency develops custom competition sites with more advanced features than most general shops attempt, including live odds calculators, refer-a-friend systems and points-based rewards. Transparent odds are one of the Voluntary Code expectations, so a live odds feature can support compliance as well as engagement.
Best for: operators who want advanced mechanics at a competitive price.
6. Design Hero
Design Hero lead with marketing rather than development, focusing on acquisition and conversion. For operators whose platform is already approved but whose ads aren’t performing, that focus may be more useful than a rebuild.
Best for: approved operators looking to improve ad performance.
7. Raffle Web Design
A smaller developer offering bespoke raffle builds with core mechanics including lucky dip, number picker, automatic number assignment and winner management. A practical option for early-stage operators, though it is worth checking how the platform handles age verification and free entry visibility before applying for ad approval.
Best for: early-stage operators on a budget.
Technical questions to ask any developer
Before commissioning a build you intend to advertise, ask:
- Where is the skill question enforced, and can a paid order be created without it?
- How are free entries captured, logged and added to the same draw as paid entries?
- How does age verification work, and is it enforced server-side?
- How do spend limits hold under concurrent orders from the same account?
- Which specialist gateway will the platform use, and when does the merchant application start?
- Have you supported a client through Meta’s approval process for prize competition ads?
A developer who answers these clearly is building a platform that can be advertised. One who can’t is building a website that may never get past review.
