Where every £1 goes
How the big draws split your money, and how we differ.
Every operator divides your pound differently between prizes, good causes and its own costs. The figures below are each operator's own published split, or the closest official figure available. The lotteries return half or more to players, but concentrate it on one jackpot. Omaze returns the least, to a single winner. Snaffle shares the whole prize fund across hundreds of people.
| Operator | To players (prizes) | To good causes | To costs, duty & profit | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SnaffleOur model | 60p | 25p | 15pCovers Snaffle's platform and operating costs, payment fees and VAT — no duty, no retailer margin | 60p of every £1 goes into the prize fund (shared across hundreds of winners, top prize capped), 25p to good causes, 15p to Snaffle to cover costs, payment fees and VAT. |
| UK National LotteryLotto, Fourth Licence average | 56p | 23p | 21p12p Lottery Duty, 5p operating costs, 3p retailer, 1p operator profit | Most of the player share is concentrated on the jackpot, won by one ticket or rolled over. |
| Irish LotteryLotto and other games | 58p | 27p | 15p5p retailer, 10p running costs and operator profit | Highest headline player share, but again weighted heavily toward the jackpot. |
| EuroMillions (UK)UK share of the transnational game | 50p | 28p | 22pLottery Duty, retailer commission and operating costs combined | Lowest player share of the three lotteries, with the biggest jackpots of all. |
| OmazeHouse prize draw | 10–15p | 17p | 68pMostly marketing and advertising, plus operations and profit | The prize is a single fixed-value house, so the player share is small and goes to one winner. |
Figures caveat
All figures below were accurate at the time of listing but are subject to change, approximation and rounding. Operator splits can vary by licence period, campaign or game type. Always check the operator's own published figures for the most up-to-date split.
Notes on the figures. The three lottery splits are each operator's published average; the National Lottery figure is the Fourth Licence average published by GOV.UK. Omaze's player share is an estimate, because its prize is a fixed-value asset rather than a set percentage of sales, so the share varies with how many entries sell in each draw. Snaffle's own split is set for each campaign after charity and platform costs, with the full remaining prize fund shared across the draw.
Example of costs
Payment card fees
Card processing is one of the largest line items in the "costs" share above. Prize competitions are treated as higher-risk by acquirers, so only specialist providers will typically work with Snaffle. The table below shows realistic options.
Payment providers — realistic options
| Provider | Rate range | Per transaction | Fee on £100,000 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cashflows | 1.4%–2.5% | + £0.20 | £3,400–£4,500 | FCA regulated, UK. Most widely used for prize competitions. Rate falls with volume. |
| Truevo | 1.5%–3.0% | + £0.20 | £3,500–£5,000 | Purpose-built competition product. Can pay prizes straight to winners' cards. |
| Trust Payments | 1.5%–3.0% | + £0.20 | £3,500–£5,000 | Established acquirer with ready-made shop plugins. |
| Nochex | 1.5%–3.0% | + £0.20 | £3,500–£5,000 | UK provider, supports competition sites. |
In short
On £100,000 collected, card processing fees could range from about £2,200 to £6,000 depending on which provider we use and how much each person spends in one go. Bundles and subscriptions help by raising the average spend and cutting the number of separate payments.
Figures are published or indicative rates as at July 2026. Specialist providers quote each business individually on volume, prize values, chargeback history and site structure, so upper ends are indicative rather than fixed. Most specialist providers also hold a rolling reserve (a share of each transaction retained for a period against chargebacks), which is a cash-flow cost on top of the fee. Mainstream providers are shown for comparison only; they generally decline or suspend prize-competition accounts even where the business is legally compliant. Card fees themselves carry 20% VAT, which a VAT-registered business can usually reclaim.
Payment fee sources
- Cashflows — specialist competition and prize-draw payment gateway, indicative 1.4%–2.5% plus interchange. Cashflows, Competition Payment Gateway
- Cashflows rate range — approximately 1.4%–2.5% per transaction plus interchange for prize competitions. Nera Marketing, How to Price Raffle Tickets in the UK
- Truevo — purpose-built competition and gaming payments product, with card payouts to winners via Visa Direct and Mastercard Send. Truevo Payments, Competition Gaming Payments
- Trust Payments and specialist acquirers — providers that approve competition and prize-draw models, with WooCommerce and Magento plugins. Merchant Advice Service, Raffle Website Payment Gateways
- Specialist provider landscape (Cashflows, Truevo, Trust Payments, Nochex, Radiant Pay, Axcess) and why mainstream processors decline competition sites. Nera Marketing, Best UK Banks and High-Risk Merchant Providers 2026
- High-risk rate band and rolling reserves — high-risk effective rates typically 2%–4%+, with rolling reserves of 5%–10% common. We Tranxact, High-Risk Merchant Account Costs
All rates are published or indicative figures accessed as at July 2026. Specialist providers quote each business individually, so upper ends are indicative and vary by volume, prize values, chargeback history and site structure.
Sources
- UK National Lottery — where every £1 goes (56p prizes, 23p good causes, 12p duty, 3p retailer, 5p costs, 1p profit). GOV.UK, National Lottery Good Causes
- EuroMillions (UK) — 50% prizes, 28% good causes, remainder to duty, retailer and costs. EuroMillions, Good Causes & Distribution of Revenue
- Irish Lottery — 58% prizes, 27% good causes, 5% retailer, 10% running and profit. EuroMillions, Good Causes & Distribution of Revenue
- Omaze — 17% of total sales to charity (guaranteed £1m minimum); prize costs, marketing and retained income make up the remainder. Civil Society News / Wikipedia, Omaze
Figures accessed and correct as at July 2026.