Prize Draw Addiction Is Real: Woman Reveals She Went Hungry and Used Tissues as Tampons to Fund Her Habit

It sounds harmless enough — enter a competition, win a dream holiday, a luxury car, or a stunning piece of jewellery. But for a growing number of people, the thrill of prize draws has spiralled into something far darker, and the consequences are devastating lives in ways most of us would never imagine.

One woman has bravely come forward to share her harrowing story, revealing that her obsession with prize draw competitions left her so financially drained that she couldn’t afford food — or even basic sanitary products. She resorted to using tissues as tampons just to keep entering draws, chasing that next big win that never came.

The Hidden World of Prize Draw Competitions

Prize draw competitions — sometimes called “comping” — have exploded in popularity over the last decade. Social media platforms are flooded with glossy adverts promising luxury prizes: sports cars, designer handbags, tropical holidays, and even houses. For a small entry fee, often just a few pounds, the dream feels achingly within reach.

And that’s precisely the problem. The low cost of entry masks just how quickly the spending can accumulate. Entering dozens — or even hundreds — of draws each week can drain bank accounts faster than most people realise, especially when the wins are rare and the losses are invisible.

Unlike traditional gambling, prize draws don’t carry the same social stigma or regulatory scrutiny. Many people don’t even think of it as gambling at all. But experts in addiction are increasingly sounding the alarm, warning that the psychological mechanics at play are almost identical to slot machines and sports betting.

One Woman’s Story: From Excitement to Desperation

The woman at the centre of this story — whose identity has been kept private — describes how it all started innocently. She entered a few competitions online, won a small prize, and felt an electric rush of excitement. That feeling became the drug.

Before long, she was spending hours every day scrolling through competition websites and social media pages, entering draw after draw. The entry fees seemed small individually — £2 here, £5 there — but they added up to hundreds of pounds every month that she simply didn’t have.

Things deteriorated rapidly. She began skipping meals to save money for more entries. She stopped paying bills on time. And in one of the most shocking admissions, she revealed that during her period, she couldn’t afford sanitary products and used tissues instead — all because every spare penny was going towards the next prize draw entry.

Why Prize Draws Are So Psychologically Powerful

Gambling support organisations say that prize draw addiction taps into the same neurological reward pathways as any other form of compulsive gambling. The near-miss effect — where you see other winners announced and think “that could have been me” — keeps people hooked in a powerful cycle of hope and disappointment.

Social media makes it even worse. Competition companies regularly post videos of winners receiving their prizes, complete with tearful reactions and joyful celebrations. It’s designed to make you believe that winning is common, normal, and just around the corner for you too.

There’s also the community element. Online groups dedicated to prize draw competitions create a sense of belonging and shared excitement. Members celebrate each other’s wins and encourage more entries. For people who are lonely or struggling emotionally, these communities can become a lifeline — but one that feeds the addiction rather than addressing the underlying issues.

The Regulation Gap Nobody Is Talking About

Traditional gambling in the UK is tightly regulated by the Gambling Commission. Online casinos, bookmakers, and even bingo sites must adhere to strict rules around advertising, age verification, and responsible gambling measures. But prize draw competitions exist in a legal grey area that leaves consumers with far fewer protections.

Many prize draw operators argue that their competitions are not gambling at all, because they offer a free postal entry route — a legal requirement that technically classifies them differently. But in practice, the vast majority of entries are paid, and the free entry option is rarely used or prominently advertised.

Gambling support charities are now calling on regulators to take a closer look at the industry, arguing that the harm being caused is real and growing. They want prize draw companies to introduce spending limits, self-exclusion options, and clearer warnings about the risks of excessive participation — the same tools that have been made mandatory in other gambling sectors.

The Signs That “Comping” Has Become a Problem

How do you know when a fun hobby has crossed the line into something more serious? Experts say there are several red flags to watch for. If you’re spending more money on prize draw entries than you can comfortably afford, that’s the first warning sign.

Other indicators include lying to friends or family about how much you’re spending, feeling anxious or irritable when you can’t enter competitions, chasing losses by entering more draws after a disappointing run, and neglecting basic needs — food, bills, health — to fund your entries.

The woman who shared her story ticked all of these boxes, and she says she wishes someone had pointed them out to her earlier. By the time she recognised she had a problem, she was in significant debt and her mental health had suffered enormously.

Getting Help: You’re Not Alone

The good news is that help is available, and awareness of this issue is growing. Organisations like GamCare and the National Gambling Helpline in the UK are increasingly hearing from people whose addiction involves prize draws and competitions rather than traditional gambling. They are equipped to help, and they won’t judge.

Therapy — particularly Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — has proven effective in treating gambling-related addictions by helping people understand and change the thought patterns that drive compulsive behaviour. Support groups, both in-person and online, also provide a vital sense of community without the harmful reinforcement of competition culture.

Financial counselling is often a key part of recovery too, helping people rebuild their finances and develop healthier spending habits. For many, the debt accumulated during their addiction is one of the hardest parts to face — but it can be managed with the right support.

A Wake-Up Call for the Industry

Stories like this one should serve as a wake-up call — not just for individuals, but for the prize draw industry itself. Companies profiting from competitions have a responsibility to ensure that their marketing practices don’t exploit vulnerable people, and that safeguards are in place to prevent harm.

It would be easy to dismiss prize draw addiction as a niche problem, affecting only a small number of people who lack self-control. But that narrative ignores the very real psychological mechanisms at play, and the structural features of prize draw culture that are specifically designed to maximise engagement and spending.

The woman whose story opened this article is now in recovery. She’s rebuilding her finances, her health, and her sense of self-worth. She hopes that by speaking out, she can help others recognise the signs before they reach the same desperate low point she did. Her courage in sharing something so deeply personal is a reminder that addiction doesn’t always look the way we expect it to — and that it can creep up on anyone.

Final Thoughts

Prize draws might be marketed as harmless fun, a little flutter on a dream lifestyle. And for most people, they probably are. But for a growing number of individuals, the line between entertainment and addiction is being crossed — often without anyone noticing until the damage is done.

If you or someone you know is struggling with prize draw addiction or any form of gambling-related harm, please reach out to a qualified support organisation. There is no shame in asking for help, and recovery is absolutely possible.

What do you think? Should prize draw competitions face the same strict regulations as traditional gambling? Have you or someone you know ever felt like competition entering was getting out of control? Share your thoughts in the comments below — we’d love to hear from you.

This article is for informational purposes only.