We will never change the date for a draw or substitute prizes for a lower cash alternative. So first and foremost it means better odds for you if we don’t sell out! We proceed with the draw as normal and randomly select the winning numbers in the same way, leaving unsold ticket numbers blank. If the number drawn has not been sold we will keep repeating the process until a number that has been allocated to a participant is drawn.

We do all our draws live on Facebook and use Google’s Random Number generator to select the winning number. All our previous draws are available to watch on our Facebook page

The total tickets available for each competition is listed at the top of the main product description on each page.

In most cases we’re happy to do so. The total cash alternative will be the product retail price less VAT (20%).

We always call or email the winners within 24 hours after the draw to let them know the good news. If we can get confirmation of delivery details back from the winner in a reasonable time the prize typically arrives within 5-10 working days of the draw.

Still haven’t heard from us in 24hrs? Please email our winners team lead Laura at admin@winwink.co.uk

Automated Draws take place shortly after the draw time specified on the competition page. Here’s how they work:

• Depending on the day’s schedule, Automated Draws might happen sooner or later, usually within a range of a few minutes.
• We use a method called the Mersenne Twister algorithm to select a random number. It’s like picking a number from a hat.
• This algorithm takes three inputs: the smallest possible number, the largest possible number, and a starting value called the seed.
• For example, if we set the range from 1 to 100 and the seed as 1234560987123, it will give us a random number like 55.

To see this in action, you can follow these steps:

1. Go to this website: https://onlinephp.io/
2. Clear the first text box.
3. Paste this code on the first line:

   <?php
   mt_srand(1234560987123);
   echo mt_rand(1, 1000);
   

4. Click on “Execute Code”.

You’ll get “55” as the result. Changing the seed or the range will give you different numbers.

In our Automated Draws, we use:

• The seed: This is calculated from the current time, which is a way of making it unpredictable as it’s triggered by random within a range of time
• The range: This depends on the number of tickets, for example, 1 to 9999.

At the time of the draw:

1. All ticket numbers are sorted by when they were issued.
2. The tickets are compiled.
3. The output from Mersenne Twister (like “5921” in our example) corresponds to a specific line in the list.
4. The winning ticket number is found on that line – and the system will automatically email the winner.

To summarise, the Automated Draw process involves

• Using the current time as a starting point (seed).
• Defining the range based on the number of tickets.
• Using Mersenne Twister to find the winning ticket’s position in the sorted list.
• Identifying the winning ticket number on that line.

This randomness is introduced through:

• Random allocation of ticket numbers to customers.
• The unpredictable timing of the draw.
• The inclusion of milliseconds in the seed.
• Variations in the number of tickets for each draw.