How to stop giveaway bots and fake entries

Updated 12 November 2026 · By the Vast team

You can't stop every fake entry, but you can make most of them pointless. Pick a prize only your audience wants, ask for actions that are hard to fake, give each person one entry, write your eligibility rules before you start, and check every winner before you announce. A tool can check some actions for you; the rest you check by hand, by the rules you published.

Vast is our product, so weigh that where we describe it. We read Vast's entry, draw and re-draw code, and the platform rules linked below, on November 11, 2026. This guide says what to check, not how any check works inside, and no tool catches everything.

What kinds of fake entries should you expect?

ProblemWhat you might seeWhat helpsOn Vast
One person, several accountsNew accounts with similar names, several entries from one IP address"One entry per person" in your rules, and a look at every winnerNot detected automatically. You can view entries by account and by IP
Bot or scripted entriesBursts of entries, accounts that only ever enter giveawaysActions that need a real account somewhere elseEach action counts once per account. Steam and Twitch actions are checked with the platform; Discord, X and Kick actions aren't
Actions claimed but not doneA winner who doesn't follow you or isn't in your serverChecking winners before you announceSteam and Twitch: checked. Discord, X, Kick and YouTube: not checked
Entrants outside your countriesEntries from places your rules excludeA location rule, checked again when the winner claimsFrom Pro, entries from IP addresses outside the one country you set are refused
Under-age entrantsA winner who turns out to be too youngA minimum age in your rulesRefused when the account's birthday is under your minimum age
Engagement tradingAccounts that follow everyone who entersNever rewarding volumeNot checked

None of the signs in the second column proves fraud on its own. A family, a school or a café can share one IP address, and new accounts are often just new fans.

What do the platforms' own rules say?

Each platform bans fake activity in its own words. Link these in your rules rather than paraphrasing them.

How do you design a giveaway that's harder to game?

What about VPNs and location limits?

A location limit is a filter, not proof. An IP address shows roughly where a connection comes from, not where a person lives, so treat it as a first check. Your rules should say where winners must live, and the claim step is where you confirm it, for example by a shipping address in an allowed country.

If a prize can only be delivered in some countries, such as region-locked keys or physical items, say so in the rules and limit entry to those countries. Our rules template has wording for eligibility and disqualification.

What does Vast check for you?

Vast is our product, so weigh this section as a vendor's description.

What do you still check by hand?

Our guides to picking a giveaway winner and announcing a giveaway winner cover the draw and the claim.

Prize promotion laws vary by country. This isn't legal advice; check with a lawyer for your country and prize.

Run a giveaway on Vast with checked Steam and Twitch actions, each action counted once per account, and every re-draw logged. Start a giveaway

FAQ

How do I know if a giveaway entry is a bot?

You often can't from one sign. Look for clusters: accounts made days ago, similar names, many entries from one IP address, and no activity outside giveaways. Check winners closely, and ask them to prove the account.

Does a shared IP address mean someone cheated?

No. Households, schools, offices and cafés share IP addresses. Treat it as a reason to look closer at a winner, not as proof.

Does Vast detect duplicate accounts?

Not automatically today. Vast counts each action once per account and lets you view entries by account and by IP address, so you can check winners before you publish them.

Can I disqualify a winner I think is fake?

If your rules give a reason that applies, yes. On Vast, Reroll replaces that winner and marks their entries invalid. Use only the reasons your rules list.

Sources

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