Underground house sale is legal say couple

A Cheltenham couple who are raffling their £1million underground home say they have breached no gambling rules.

The Gambling Commission warned last week that offering up a property as a prize in a competition could be deemed illegal.

It says such raffles blur the lines between a competition, which requires an element of skill or knowledge, and a lottery, which is the preserve of good causes.

Already, the sellers of a £1m fantasy home in Devon have had to delay the draw of the winning ticket this month.

But Tim and Zoe Bawtree, whose dream project was featured on Channel 4's Grand Designs, say they have strictly followed the letter of the law.

Nearly 9,000 people have entered the competition to win the house at Oxford Walk by buying a £25 ticket and correctly naming the winning horse at last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Tim, 37, said: "Since day one of this project we have been in regular contact with the Gambling Commission and Paypal (online payment ) to ensure everything is in order.

"The rules in place are good news for everyone because they will prevent people from abusing the system."

Tom Kavanagh, the Commission's deputy chief executive, said: "Lotteries are the preserve of good causes and cannot be operated for private gain.

"Prize competitions are free of statutory control under the Act and can be run for profit but homeowners considering such schemes as an alternative to selling their house risk committing a criminal offence if they cross the boundary and stray into offering an illegal lottery."

The couple built the underground -eco-home in the back garden of their Regency home and planned to move in.

But six months later they decided they wanted a new challenge – and in a bid to beat the property price slump put the house up as the prize in a giant internet raffle.

Tim added: "When we started this we had no idea how it would go. But six weeks on we are doing really well.

"We are over a fifth of the way towards our target and have already raised £22,000 for a cancer charity."

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