If you’ve ever seen “FREE entries” advertised with big prizes, you’re not alone.


Many of today’s online promotions are structured as Trade Promotion Lotteries (TPLs) and can be legal – but there’s a reality most people don’t understand:

“Entries” are often not numbered tickets, the entry pool may not be capped or publicly knowable, and flash campaigns like “10× entries today only” can cause the total entries to surge – shrinking your odds without you realising.

This short, practical guide helps you understand what’s really going on – without naming or attacking any company – so you can make informed choices, and so community organisations can compete ethically with transparency and trust.

✅ Download the free eBook and learn how to protect yourself from confusion, calculate what you can, and choose community-first prize draws where supporters can know their odds and know where the money goes.

What you’ll learn
What this eBook will help you understand

Inside the guide, you’ll learn:

How Trade Promotion Lotteries work in plain English (and why many are legal)
The difference between numbered tickets and unnumbered “entries”
Why “unlimited” or undisclosed entry pools make odds hard (or impossible) to calculate
How “10× entries / half price / today only” promos can inflate the pool and dilute odds
The questions to ask before you join any draw-based promotion
What “transparency” actually looks like in a prize draw – and why it matters for trust
Why community-first prize draws can deliver both excitement and real impact

Who this is for

Community organisations & causes If you’re tired of fundraising burnout and want a modern, ethical model that supporters trust, this is for you.

Supporters & everyday Australians If you enjoy the excitement of big prizes but want to understand your real odds (and avoid regret), this is for you.

Ethical business sponsors If you want visibility and community impact without reputational risk, this is for you.

The truth is simple

If you’re going to spend money chasing a big win, you deserve two things:

Transparency about your odds
Confidence that your spend helps real people, not just a marketing machine

That’s why we believe in community-first prize draws – where entries are numbered, limited, and publicly disclosed, so supporters can make informed choices.

About ACFP Ltd

Why we created this guide

Australian Community Fundraising Partners Ltd (ACFP Ltd) exists to advance health and education across Australia – including physical, mental, and medical health and health education in schools, sporting clubs, workplaces, and communities.

Our approach is purpose-led and transparent:

Supporters can nominate a partnered organisation to receive a meaningful share of their contribution
Draw details are designed to be open and understandable
If someone doesn’t win a prize, their participation still supported a real cause

Because communities deserve better than confusion.

What you get

Free download includes:

The full eBook (PDF)
A 1-page Odds & Transparency Checklist you can use for any promotion
Practical questions to ask before joining any prize draw

Respectful, educational, and “name-free”

This guide doesn’t target or accuse any company.
It simply explains the structures, the language, and the maths behind modern online promotions – so supporters and community organisations can make clear, confident decisions.

Ready to understand the real odds?

Download the eBook and learn what to watch for, what questions to ask, and how to choose transparent, community-first prize draws.

DOWNLOAD NOW