Skill-Based Competitions Explained

A skill-based competition is an activity where a participant's knowledge, judgement, ability or performance can influence the outcome.

That's different from an outcome being determined entirely by random chance.

Skill-based competitions can take many forms.

They can involve:

• General knowledge
• Memory
• Problem solving
• Mathematics
• Strategy
• Reaction
• Pattern recognition
• Decision-making
• Other measurable abilities

The Twenty incorporates a skill-based element into its weekly experience.

This isn't a new or untested category. BOTB (Best of the Best), founded in 1999, has run weekly skill-based prize competitions in the UK for over two decades — its "Spot the Ball" format asks entrants to mark where they believe a ball is in a cropped photo, with the closest answer winning. By its own published figures, BOTB has given away more than £170 million in prizes since launch. It's a genuine, long-running example of the same underlying principle behind The Twenty's Skill Test: a participant's own judgement, not a random draw, decides who qualifies.

UK gambling law treats a lottery — where winners are chosen purely by chance — very differently from a genuine prize competition, where a real skill, knowledge or judgement element has a material bearing on the outcome. The Gambling Commission's own published guidance sets a specific bar for this: the required skill should be significant enough to discourage a meaningful proportion of would-be entrants from even trying, or prevent a significant proportion of entrants from winning, because it's genuinely too difficult for them. A token skill question that almost anyone could answer doesn't meet that standard — the skill has to actually do work in deciding who wins.

Simply calling something a "skill-based competition" isn't enough on its own, though — the Gambling Commission is explicit that the actual structure of a given product is what matters. Whether a particular competition falls within the prize-competition framework depends on its precise structure and how the relevant legal requirements are met, not on how it's labelled. See our Regulation page for The Twenty's own current position, which will be confirmed ahead of public launch.

The Twenty wants participation to involve more than simply waiting to see whether your name is selected.

The Skill Test creates an opportunity for members to demonstrate their ability.

The idea is simple:

Know your stuff. Put your skills to the test. Earn your opportunity.

For a trial-by-trial breakdown, see what the three Skill Test trials measure.

The Skill Test is designed to determine which members qualify to progress towards the weekly experience.

The exact format, scoring system and eligibility requirements will be explained in the applicable rules.

The important principle is that the test introduces a genuine skill element.

Successful participants can progress towards Crack the Vault.

This is the headline challenge at the centre of The Twenty's weekly experience.

The concept is designed to create a moment of anticipation and excitement while maintaining the skill-based foundation.

The Vault represents security, saving and the financial foundation of The Twenty.

Cracking the Vault represents the opportunity to unlock something much bigger.

It's deliberately symbolic.

Build your Vault. Develop your skills. Earn your opportunity.

These are easy to conflate, but they're not the same step.

Qualification is earned by passing the Skill Test — a combined score of 6 or higher out of 9 across the three trials unlocks that week's Crack the Vault stage. Every member who reaches that threshold qualifies on equal terms.

Winning is decided separately, at Crack the Vault itself — the fastest qualifying member to complete that week's live challenge wins, with ties broken by the higher combined Skill Test score. Passing the Skill Test guarantees a genuine shot at that week's prize; it doesn't guarantee winning it.

The precise competition rules will determine how successful participants progress and how the final outcome is established. Members should always read the current rules before participating.

The skill element is central to the identity of The Twenty.

It's part of the difference between simply entering something and actively participating in it.

The Twenty wants members to feel that they have an opportunity to influence their journey through knowledge, preparation and performance.

• Is a skill-based competition automatically legal in the UK? No — simply calling something "skill-based" isn't enough on its own. It has to genuinely meet the standard described above, and the exact legal classification of any specific product depends on its precise structure.
• Do I need to be an expert to take part? No — The Twenty's own Skill Test is built around memory, pattern recognition and composure under time pressure, not specialist knowledge, and a free training mode exists to build familiarity beforehand.
• What's the difference between a skill-based competition and a prize-linked savings product? A skill-based competition is a standalone activity where entrants compete for a prize. Prize-linked savings is fundamentally a savings account with a prize element layered on top. The Twenty combines both: a genuine prize-linked Vault, plus a skill-based competition funded by a separate contribution.
• Can I lose money by entering a skill-based competition? That depends entirely on the specific product's structure — some require an entry stake that's lost regardless of outcome. Under The Twenty's model, only the £5 monthly allocation (part of your £20 minimum) funds your shot at the prize pool, providing one Skill Test opportunity each week that month; your £15 Vault stays yours regardless of whether you qualify or win.

The Twenty isn't asking members to choose between saving and having an exciting financial goal.

It is attempting to bring the two together.

Save regularly.

Build your financial habit.

Test your skills.

And give yourself an opportunity to unlock something extraordinary.

For the wider UK legal context, read our skill-based prize competition UK guide, and join The Twenty waitlist to be notified when sign-ups open.

• UK Gambling Commission — Free draws and prize competitions guidance (gamblingcommission.gov.uk)
• BOTB (Best of the Best) — UK skill-based prize competitions since 1999 (botb.com)