If you have ever used one of the big social media channels, the chances are high that you will have seen an advertisem*nt for Omaze and the properties that you can ‘win’ through the company. One of the first questions that you will probably ask yourself is what your actual chances of success are, with the news not being all that good for people desperate to live in a mansion-style house or become a millionaire by winning it and then selling it on. We will go into more detail in the piece, but the answer is that the odds are ‘high’.
In actuality, the Omaze draws are a sweepstake, meaning that it is virtually impossible to calculate the odds without knowing more information. If you buy one ticket and only 99 other tickets are sold, your chances of success are 1 in 100. If 999,999 other tickets are sold, your chances are 1 in 1,000,000 and so on. In other words, the more people that enter, the lower your chances of winning are. Of course, the lottery is all but impossible to win in terms of odds, yet millions of people still play it every weekend. This is likely to be the same.
Figuring Out the Likelihood of Winning
Rather than referring to the odds of winning an Omaze house, it probably makes more sense to talk about the likelihood of winning. That is because the ‘odds’ are a very specific thing, involving mathematics and information that we just don’t have available to us. Something like the Lotto or EuroMillions is easy to talk about in terms of odds because they are set in stone. The odds of winning the Lotto jackpot are 1 in 45,057,474 and in the EuroMillions they are 1 in 139,838,160. Those odds remain the same, whether there is one person playing or five million.
When it comes to the houses and other things that you can win through Omaze, things work slightly differently. It is a sweepstake, meaning that your chances of winning are entirely dependant on the number of other people that also decide to buy a ticket. Working out how many other players there are is all but impossible, given the fact that the company doesn’t release that information. That, of course, isn’t all that surprising when you consider the fact that if you knew you were extremely unlikely to win you probably wouldn’t play.
Doing Rough Mathematics
In order to get a vague sense of how likely or otherwise you are to win an Omaze house, we can do some rough mathematics. According to the website, 80% of the funds that the company receives go to charity. The 20% that remains is used to both pay for the prize and to cover any expenses that Omaze incur. We can use that information to look at a previous house that was won through Omaze, one based in Ascot in the United Kingdom, and reverse-engineer some rough chances for people to end up victorious.
The first thing we need to do is get the £3.5 million that is needed to pay for the house, given that that is how much it was valued at. We know that 20% of 17.5 million is 3.5 million, so that is a solid starting point. If we round it up to 18 million in order to cover any expenses incurred in the setting up of the competition, we are able to surmise that Omaze will need to sell in the region of £18 million worth of tickets to wash their face. The most popular amount chosen by players is 40 entries for £25, with some giving more and some less.
On that basis, 720,000 people will have had to have chosen the £25 ‘donation’ in order to reach our target of £18 million. Realistically, it is probably likely to be a little more than that because not everyone will have chosen to opt for the most tickets. As a result, we can guess that about two million to three million people will have bought tickets of some form for the house sweepstake in question. Of course, each person might have bought a different number of tickets, which then confuses things further and makes the maths more difficult.
That is to say, if 720,000 people spent £25, each of them would have 40 tickets. That means that there would be 28.8 million tickets in the draw for those people alone. All of a sudden, your chances change depending not only on how many people it is that have bought a ticket but also how many tickets they have bought. There is a limit to the number of tickets that you can buy, but even so you can soon find yourself doing crazy sums to try to figure out what your chances are of success in the Omaze draw for a house.
It Is a Sweepstake
Ultimately, the way the Omaze draw works is the same as any other sweepstake. The number of tickets that are in the draw is one aspect of the mathematics that we need to do in order to figure out your odds of winning. Another key factor is how many tickets you’ve got yourself. Imagine a sweepstake for a bottle of wine taking place at your local social club, for example. It is £1 per ticket, but you can get a strip of ten tickets for £5. There might be 100 people that have bought tickets, but that doesn’t mean that 100 tickets have been sold.
Instead, half of them have bought one ticket for £1, another quarter have bought ten tickets for £5 and the remaining quarter have bought an average of three tickets per person. In total, then, 50 tickets were sold for £1, 250 tickets were sold for £125 and 75 tickets were sold for £75. The amount of money spent on tickets was £250 between 100 people for 375 tickets. Your chances of winning depend on how many tickets you personally bought. If you only bought one ticket, it’s one in 375. If you bought five the odds would be 5/375, or one in 75.
That is obviously a simplistic way of looking at things, but it perhaps helps to understand how Omaze works in a smaller scale. When it comes to the Omaze sweepstake, it isn’t about how many people have bought tickets but how many tickets have been bought. If one million people bought 40 tickets for £25, your odds of winning aren’t one million to one if you bought one ticket, but rather are closer to 40 million to one because that is how many tickets have been sold in total, presuming nobody else buys any.
If you want to give yourself the best possible chances of winning an Omaze contest, the best thing that you can do is to enter one that is likely to have fewer entrants and also buy the maximum number of tickets. That being said, not everyone will want to win a surfing trip to Hawaii, for example, whereas pretty much everyone would be delighted to end up with a house worth millions of pounds. With that in mind, if you’re trying to win a house then you need to accept that your chances of doing so are, sadly, very low.
About Omaze
The company itself was founded in Los Angeles, California in the United States of America. Created by Ryan Cummins and Matthew Pohlson in 2012, they can up with the idea after they had attended a fundraiser that gave people the chance to watch a basketball game with the sport’s first major star, Magic Johnson. That event took money from the highest bidder, but the pair thought that it would make more sense to offer people the chance to win a variety of prizes that more people could participate in by making it a sweepstake rather than an auction.
The company is a for-profit enterprise, partnering with various charities in order to raise money for good causes. Though the house prizes are the most popular, they aren’t the only ones offered by Omaze. You can also win the likes of celebrity experiences, material good and even lesser prizes. The amount of money given to the charities varies from case to case, which is another factor that makes it difficult to figure out exactly what the chances of winning are at any given moment. Here is a list of some of the charities that it has worked with:
- UNICEF
- Product Red
- After-School All-Stars
- Julia’s House
- Make-A-Wish Foundation
The more astute amongst you will have realised that they are largely American companies. That is mostly because Omaze only launched in the United Kingdom in 2020, when it teamed up with Teenage Cancer Trust and offered a £1 million house. The company really shot to fame in the States in 2015 when it allowed people the chance to win a visit to the closed-set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, raising more than $4 million in the process. Prizes like that are why it has become so popular in the years since.
The way that Omaze handles the splitting of the money depends on a number of factors, including the country that it is based in and the prize on offer. The way it works in the UK differs from how it works in the United States, for example. In the US, it donates a different amount of money to charity when the prize is a celebrity experience compared to when it is a ‘prize-based experience’. In the UK, on the other hand, it is a set amount for all prizes. The owners say that it is ‘a place where we can all help each other achieve our dreams’.
Do People Actually Win?
The odds of winning a house through Omaze might be sky high, but the good news is that every draw has an assured winner. That being said, not all of the winners end up delighted by what it is that they end up with. In 2021, for example, the Daily Mail reported on the story of Darren Wordon, who won a £2.5 million mansion in the Cotswolds. It was obviously a dream for the father of two, especially as he spent just £25 buying his tickets and ended up winning not only the house but also £10,000 in spending money.
The house was based in an area of the country where the likes of the Beckhams, David Cameron and Amanda Holden also lived, so you would imagine that Wordon was thrilled to move in to his seven bedroom property near Chipping Norton. Instead, local residents were quick to warn him that the house was in a part of the area that regularly suffered from flooding. Willowbrook House in Radford sat in a valley that flooded virtually once a year. A cottage used to sit there and the water drained easily, but then a house was built and the flooding got worse.
As you might imagine, Omaze disputed the claims. In spite of the fact that a local in the area, Julia Boardman, spoke of flooding that ‘went straight in through the back door and out of the front’, the company dismissed it as a ‘non-event’ in a house that is in ‘incredible condition’. The local estate agent who had negotiated the sale to Omaze said that ‘any flooding issues had been dealt with’. It is also important to point out that the Mail’s story on Willowbrook House appears to be a one off, with the most important thing being that the houses really are won.
FAQs
The exact odds of winning are unclear – Omaze doesn't publish precise figures, and the odds get worse as more people enter – but people do win big, and that has kept me interested enough to enter every competition since it first popped up on my Instagram feed.
What are the odds of winning on Omaze? ›
If 5 people enter (including you), your odds are 1 to 4; the probability you'll win is 1 out of 5, that's 20%. If 50 people were to enter, your odds are 1 to 49; the probability you'll win is 1/50. That's 2%. If 5,000 people enter, your odds are 1 to 4,999; your probability of a win is 1/5000.
How does Omaze pick winners? ›
Winners are drawn at random on the date specified within the Experience Rules. All winners are contacted by email and telephone (if they've provided a phone number).
Is Omaze a con? ›
Omaze is a legitimate fundraising platform that helps charities by providing a way for people to enter to win amazing prizes.
What happened to Omaze 2023? ›
Omaze. As of January 28 2023, we're changing the way we do things. In order to have the biggest impact for our charity partners, worldwide, we're simplifying the experiences we offer. While we reflect on how to do this effectively in the US, we will not be adding new experiences to omaze.com.
Where does the money from Omaze go? ›
Omaze, which conducts prize draws where customers can win million-pound houses, has raised £11.15m from the general public for charity since its UK launch just over two years ago. The funds have gone to charities including Teenage Cancer Trust, British Heart Foundation, Dogs Trust and GOSH Charity.
Has anyone won Omaze without donating? ›
NO PURCHASE, PAYMENT, OR DONATION OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. ALL ENTRIES INTO AN EXPERIENCE HAVE AN EQUAL CHANCE OF WINNING. A PURCHASE, PAYMENT, OR DONATION WILL NOT INCREASE THE CHANCES OF WINNING.
Do Omaze winners pay taxes? ›
Winners of experiences are responsible for any applicable taxes. For US winners who receive a prize with a value over $600, we'll issue the winner a 1099 form so that they are able to report their prize winnings to the government.
Who owns Omaze? ›
Our Story. Omaze started when our Co-Founders, Matt [pictured] and Ryan, were coming home from an exclusive charity fundraising auction. The top bid of $15,000 won court side tickets to watch a basketball game with their idol, Magic Johnson.
Is Omaze worth it? ›
Omaze is legit; it does give money to charity and hand out its epic prizes. The company gets regulated to ensure this.
A breath-taking £3.5million dream home on the Worcestershire Cotswolds border is set to handed over to a new owner in a £15-a-ticket lottery. The countryside mansion with pool is the latest prize unveiled in Omaze's Million Pound House Draw and will raise money for the NSPCC.
How do I cancel Omaze? ›
Simply login to your account and click Cancel Subscription, and next month you won't be charged.
Has Omaze been sued? ›
While supporters say Omaze has proven itself as an effective model of fundraising, and many charities are keen to work with it, it is also controversial. Earlier this year, a class-action lawsuit was filed against it in the Northern District of California alleging fraud, false advertising, and unjust enrichment.
What is better than Omaze? ›
omaze.com's top 5 competitors in May 2023 are: onecountry.com, redbubble.com, forceforchange.starwars.com, pagesix.com, and more. According to Similarweb data of monthly visits, omaze.com's top competitor in May 2023 is onecountry.com with 998.6K visits.
What are Omaze fees? ›
And as Omaze experiences come at no-cost and no risk to the nonprofits, your donations make a big difference for organizations around the world.
Why are there no Omaze prizes? ›
We are proud of what we have accomplished with the help of our incredible community, but we know that we can raise even more money for our charity partners and bring our users even greater prizes. That's why, in the short-term, we will pause launching new sweepstakes on Omaze.com.
Where is Omaze US headquarters? ›
(“Omaze”), a professional fundraising firm, located at 4840 Alla Road, Los Angeles, CA 90066, Telephone 800-435-1976, as a commercial fundraiser.
Who is the payment processor for Omaze? ›
Additionally, please note that we offer a secure checkout through our payment processing partners, Stripe and PayPal!
What does Omaze do with your information? ›
Omaze does not “sell” consumer personal information submitted to Omaze.com and Omaze does not share your information submitted to Omaze.com with third parties for purposes of cross-context behavioral advertising and/or targeted advertising.
Who is the Omaze woman? ›
Award-winning British Actress and Voiceover
Jo has worked with an array of Production Companies as a voice actor including Netflix, ITV, Channel 5, Volvo, Cannon and in the last year alone she has recorded hundreds of successful national television campaigns as the voice of Omaze UK.
We're thrilled to announce that June Smith, from Essex, has won our biggest Grand Prize ever in the Omaze Million Pound House, Cornwall — an outstanding Waterfront House worth £4,500,000, with £100,000 in cash!
Who won Omaze Kent House? ›
A couple from the Midlands – Jade and her unnamed partner – scooped the top prize, as well as £50,000 cash, and three days later travelled down to Kent to have a look around their new home. "It's going to be life-changing," Jade said. "It's beyond our wildest dreams.
Where is the Omaze Lake District House located? ›
Nestled between England's largest natural lake, Windermere, and the charming delights of Kendal, this eight acre classic country cottage couldn't be more quintessentially English if it tried.
Where in Cornwall is the Omaze House? ›
The winner of the Omaze Million Pound House Draw will scoop a six-bedroom, three storey house overlooking the picturesque Fowey Estuary in Cornwall. Situated in one of the most desirable waterfront locations in the country – the house provides spectacular views and even comes with a yoga studio.
Can you sell the HGTV house if you win? ›
If the winner opts for the cash alternative, the Dream Home crew is usually able to sell the home in a month, sometimes in days. Though the new owners remain nameless, they purchase the homes at or around the price that HGTV deems the houses worth, but “ rarely at full value. ”
Does Omaze do background checks on winners? ›
We always reach out to potential winners to confirm their legal name before running a background check. Our team contacts potential winners via email and/or phone and then when we are able, we will follow up with a Skype call as well!
Does winning a car count as income? ›
Taxable winnings
Like all other taxable income, the IRS requires you to report prizes and winnings on your tax return, too. That means you might have to pay taxes on those winnings. Your winnings end up being included in your taxable income, which is used to calculate the tax you owe.
How many entries do you get for Omaze? ›
The maximum number of entries is usually 6,000 entries per person per campaign (but check the rules for each individual promotion). You will NOT be informed when you've reached your entry limit, but any entries over the maximum will be void and ineligible to win.
How long has Omaze been around? ›
The company, which is based in Los Angeles, was founded by Ryan Cummins and Matthew Pohlson in 2012. The pair came up with the idea of widely available draws after attending a fundraiser which offered tickets to watch a basketball game with Magic Johnson.
Where is Omaze based in UK? ›
On the scheduled announcement date around 3pm PT, the winner will be announced on the experience page. Be sure to check back on our site at that time for more details!
Who won the Cotswold house on Omaze? ›
Darren W, an IT consultant from Bath, won the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cotswolds which took place in 2021.
What date is the Omaze draw? ›
The Omaze Million Pound House Draw will run from 14 February to 1 May 2023. The Omaze Million Pound House Draw closes for online entries on 1 May 2023 and for postal entries on 3 May 2023.
Who was the last winner of Omaze? ›
June Smith from Essex won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw - a six-bedroom, three storey house overlooking the Fowey Estuary.
Can I get a refund from Omaze? ›
As such, per Section 21 of our Official Rules, we do not provide refunds once an experience has closed, except in the event of fraud and/or a valid chargeback by a credit card issuer. If you have any questions, please contact our CX Team at weloveyou@omaze.com.
Is Omaze Sweepstakes legal? ›
Omaze Weekly Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is open to legal residents of the United States and all countries except those listed in the Prohibited Jurisdictions (below) who are at least 18 years of age or older.
Is Omaze a 501c? ›
All donations made through the Omaze platform go to Omaze's 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity client associated with the applicable experience (each a “Charity Client”). Currently, Omaze has two Charity Clients: Global Impact and Our Change Foundation.
What sites are similar to Omaze? ›
So, without further ado, let's take a closer look at the top 5 competitors of Omaze.
- Charitybuzz. Headquarters: New York City, New York Founder(s): Brad Reisner, Coppy Holzman, Serena Chew Year Founded: 2005. ...
- CharityStars. ...
- Prizeo. ...
- One Country. ...
- BiddingForGood.
Yes they are. I know many people who have won based in free entries alone, including myself. I know people who won the big prizes like a fancy car and $20k but I personally won the the secondary prize in one of the orient express giveaways. It was for a set of TUMI luggage, but I accepted the $2500 cash value!
Where in Kent is Omaze house? ›
The lucky pair are now the proud owners of a stunning beachfront home in Kingsdown, near Deal, which has been likened to a James Bond lair and comes with its own tunnelled underground corridor.
The house. The 4-bedroom Cotswolds home is surrounded by woodland and is within walking distance of the beautiful village of Chipping Campden. The open-plan kitchen and dining room are perfect for family life or entertaining, and when the weather's good you can relax by the outdoor pool or in the one-acre grounds.
Does Omaze use Shopify? ›
Because Omaze are on Shopify Plus, we were able to amend the checkout customisation process, pre-filling the customer's email and phone fields based on previously submitted data. This was a key goal to ensure ease of use for the customer by removing friction and making sure they don't have to resubmit any data.
Are Omaze giveaways legit? ›
Yes! Omaze is a legit fundraising platform, and the majority of the money raised goes straight to charity.
What do Omaze gift card winners get? ›
8. Prize and Prize Terms. Prize Winner will receive a $250 Visa gift card.
How much money does Omaze make in a year? ›
Omaze revenue is $8.0M annually. After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found the following key financial metrics. Omaze has 189 employees, and the revenue per employee ratio is $42,328. Omaze peak revenue was $8.0M in 2022.
Has the Omaze Lake District house been won? ›
Grant Carson (58) has won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw - a beautifully finished five-bedroom farmhouse set in over eight acres of land offering incredible 360-degree panoramic views and just a short drive from Lake Windermere. The house comes mortgage free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.
Do people win on Omaze without paying? ›
NO PURCHASE, PAYMENT, OR DONATION OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. ALL ENTRIES INTO AN EXPERIENCE HAVE AN EQUAL CHANCE OF WINNING. A PURCHASE, PAYMENT, OR DONATION WILL NOT INCREASE THE CHANCES OF WINNING.
Has anyone won Omaze without paying? ›
Yes they are. I know many people who have won based in free entries alone, including myself. I know people who won the big prizes like a fancy car and $20k but I personally won the the secondary prize in one of the orient express giveaways. It was for a set of TUMI luggage, but I accepted the $2500 cash value!
How do I cancel my Omaze subscription? ›
Simply login to your account and click Cancel Subscription, and next month you won't be charged.
What is Omaze's net worth? ›
$340—510m (Dealroom.co estimates Sep 2021.)
Matt Pohlson is the co-founder and CEO of Omaze, an online fundraising platform that offers people the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences while supporting nonprofits around the world.
Who won the Omaze Villa? ›
A lucky Torbay grandfather is 'dusting off his swimming trunks' after winning a £2million dream villa in Spain in a charity prize draw. Mark, 57, won the three-story, four-bedroom luxury villa in the holiday hotspot of Marbella after paying £25 to enter Omaze's first house draw outside the UK.
Who won the Omaze house at Wimbledon? ›
MEET THE WINNER OF OUR WIMBLEDON HOUSE
Heekyoung Jin from Wallington, South London is the lucky winner of this grand house in Wimbledon worth over £3,500,000. Heekyoung's son, Lukas, was admitted to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) when he was 3-months old.
Where is the latest Omaze house located? ›
The countryside mansion with pool is the latest prize unveiled in Omaze's Million Pound House Draw and will raise money for the NSPCC. Everyone who buys a £15 ticket has a chance of winning the stunning countryside retreat in Chipping Campden, near Broadway.
If you have ever used one of the big social media channels, the chances are high that you will have seen an advertisem*nt for Omaze and the properties that you can ‘win’ through the company. One of the first questions that you will probably ask yourself is what your actual chances of success are, with the news not being all that good for people desperate to live in a mansion-style house or become a millionaire by winning it and then selling it on. We will go into more detail in the piece, but the answer is that the odds are ‘high’.
The company itself was founded in Los Angeles, California in the United States of America. Created by Ryan Cummins and Matthew Pohlson in 2012, they can up with the idea after they had attended a fundraiser that gave people the chance to watch a basketball game with the sport’s first major star, Magic Johnson. That event took money from the highest bidder, but the pair thought that it would make more sense to offer people the chance to win a variety of prizes that more people could participate in by making it a sweepstake rather than an auction.