A North Yorkshire couple have been left devastated after being forced to scrap their plan to raffle their £600,000 home, following a ruling by the Gambling Commission that the scheme was an illegal lottery.
Robert and Avril Smith, both in their late 60s, had hoped to sell their four-bedroom property in Grosmont through a prize draw after struggling to find a buyer through conventional means. They sold thousands of £10 tickets, but were told just before Christmas that the competition breached gambling regulations.
The couple's decision to raffle their home came after the sudden death of their 39-year-old daughter, Rachael, in 2015. They said the family home had become too painful to remain in, and they wanted to move closer to their son and grandchildren.
Robert, a former lawyer, said the Gambling Commission's decision was a 'bolt out of the blue'. He claimed he had contacted the commission in July to make them aware of the prize draw, but was only informed of the ruling in December, after thousands of tickets had been sold.
The couple now face the task of refunding more than 6,000 ticket buyers. They had hoped to raise up to £60,000 for Cancer Research UK through the sale, as Avril was diagnosed with womb cancer ten years ago.
The property, which includes an outdoor heated pool, log cabin and orangery, is now back on the market. The Smiths said they were 'back to square one' and would try to sell it through normal channels.
