Participants in Compassion in World Farming’s raffles make a significant contribution to the fight against factory farming. These raffles also bring legal and social responsibilities for Compassion, and we take these very seriously.

Age Verification Policy

Players must be over the age of 16 to purchase chances in our raffles. This is specified on the back of all tickets, in our raffle mailings, and on our online raffle page.

In our online raffle, players cannot proceed to the payment page until they have self-certified that they are over 16 years old. Once payments have been successfully processed, a confirmation email is sent to entrants confirming their playing status. This email includes a self-certification statement confirming the entrant is over 16 years of age.

If, any raffle player is found to be under 16 years of age or, on investigation, we are unable to verify their age, any monies paid in relation to the raffle will be returned to them.

Any player who provides dishonest information regarding their age automatically forfeits the right to any prize.

Self-exclusion

Whilst most raffle players are able to enjoy their participation in such activity, we recognize that for a very small number of people this form of gambling activity may cease to be fun. For those players who wish to restrict their gambling, we provide a self-exclusion facility.

Software is available to prevent individual computers from accessing gambling internet sites. Please see www.gamblock.com or www.betfilter.com for further information.

To self-exclude from our raffles, please call Compassion in World Farming on 01483 521 953 (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday), email supporters@ciwf.org.uk or write to Compassion in World Farming, River Court, Mill Lane, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1EZ.

We shall mark your record accordingly within 2 working days of receipt of your self-exclusion notification. We will hold your details on a register to ensure that we don't send you any promotional material. If you have purchased chances/tickets in a raffle, and subsequently send us a self-exclusion notification which is received prior to the raffle close date, we will refund your payment and remove you from the draw. The minimum period of exclusion is 6 months. If you would like to enter our raffles and lotteries again after this period, please get in touch via the contact details above.

In requesting self-exclusion you agree to provide full and accurate personal details, now and in the future, so as to ensure we are able to restrict your access to our raffle services.

If you do choose to self-exclude we will use all reasonable endeavours to ensure we comply with your self-exclusion. However in agreeing to self-exclude you accept that you have a parallel undertaking not to seek to circumvent the self-exclusion. Accordingly, neither our online raffle provider (CFP Lotteries and Raffles Ltd) nor Compassion in World Farming has responsibility or liability for any consequences or losses, howsoever caused, that you may suffer or incur if you commence or continue gambling by providing misleading, inaccurate or incomplete details or otherwise seek to circumvent the self-exclusion agreed.

How to identify if raffle participation, or other gambling, is becoming a problem for you

The majority of people do gamble responsibly. It may help you to keep your gambling under control to remember the following:

• You're taking part for fun – not as a means of investing your money
• Before playing, set strict limits on how much time and money you're going to spend
• Only gamble with money you can afford to lose
• Don't spend more money on gambling, hoping to win back money that you've lost
• Keep up other interests and hobbies – don't let gambling take over your life
• Don't gamble in order to escape from stress or boredom

For some, however, gambling can become a problem. If you are concerned about the amount you are gambling, and/or feel it is taking over your life – or you are concerned for a friend or relative – then the following questions may help you by giving you some guidance.

• Have others criticised your gambling?
• Have you lied to cover up the amount you have gambled, or the time you have spent doing it?
• Do arguments, frustrations or disappointments make you want to gamble?
• Do you gamble alone for long periods?
• Do you stay away from work or college to gamble?
• Do you gamble to escape from a boring or unhappy life?
• Are you reluctant to spend 'gambling money' on anything else?
• Have you lost interest in your family, friends or pastimes due to gambling?
• After losing, do you feel you must try to win back your losses as soon as possible?
• When gambling and you run out of money, do you feel lost and in despair, and need to gamble again as soon as possible?
• Do you gamble until your last penny is gone?
• Have you lied, stolen or borrowed just to get money to gamble or to pay gambling debts?
• Do you feel depressed or even suicidal because of your gambling?

If you are answering 'yes' to some of these questions, then it is likely that a gambling problem exists. For friendly and helpful advice from trained counsellors, call GamCare on 0800 8020 133. The helpline operates between 8am and midnight, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Calls outside of these hours will be taken by a message taking service.

Sometimes just telling someone about your problem can be a relief and it is the first step towards dealing with your problem. You can also visit the GamCare website www.gamcare.org.uk for more information and advice.