Omaze

Omaze

Company type	For-profit
Industry	Entertainment, Fundraising
Founded	July 2012 (2012-07)
Founder	Ryan Cummins, Matthew Pohlson
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom, Germany (formerly United States)
Key people	Matthew Pohlson (CEO)
Products	Prize draws, Sweepstakes, Charity fundraising

Omaze operates as a for-profit entertainment enterprise collaborating with charitable organizations to facilitate fundraising initiatives. Participants gain entry into prize draws by purchasing tickets or subscriptions, with a share of the revenue directed to charitable causes.

Initially established in the United States, Omaze made a strategic choice in 2023 to suspend its operations there, while continuing its active presence within the United Kingdom.

History

The concept for Omaze was born in 2011 when founders Ryan Cummins and Matthew Pohlson drew inspiration from a charity event held by the Boys & Girls Club of America. Their goal was to create a platform allowing widespread public involvement in fundraising efforts. Omaze officially launched in July 2012, providing sweepstakes experiences that raised money for various charities.

Ryan Cummins departed the company in 2018, leaving Matthew Pohlson to carry on as CEO.

In 2020, Omaze introduced the Million Pound House Draw within the UK market, featuring premium homes as prizes while supporting philanthropic causes. By 2023, the organization had fully embraced the house draw format and shifted its headquarters from Los Angeles to London. Although U.S. operations were halted, Omaze expanded its footprint into Germany alongside continued UK activities.

Within the UK, Omaze restricts entries to a maximum of £500 per account each month. The UK draws are managed by Omaze UK Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of Omaze Inc. The company commits 17% of total UK sales revenue to its charity partners, ensuring a minimum annual donation of £1 million. Previously, Omaze UK allocated 80% of net sweepstake profits—after deducting prize and marketing expenses—to charities, retaining 20% as profit.

Contests

Omaze organizes prize draws designed to encourage monetary contributions to charitable organizations, with donation amounts influencing the number of sweepstake entries received. To adhere to fundraising regulations, Omaze includes a no-purchase-necessary provision that permits free entry through online or postal methods in both the US and UK.

In January 2023, following substantial layoffs that included 103 staff members in December 2022, Omaze suspended its US operations.

Business model and house draws

As a for-profit entity initially, Omaze’s U.S. framework allocated 60% of proceeds from celebrity experience sweepstakes directly to charities, with 25% covering administrative and marketing costs, and 15% retained as profit. For prize-based experiences, only 15% was donated to charity; the majority—70%—was used for prize-related expenses and associated costs, while profit remained at 15%.

Starting in 2020, Omaze transitioned toward a fundraising approach centered on luxury home prize draws paired with charitable partnerships. Each draw is linked to a specific charity; a predetermined percentage covers draw and prize expenses, while the balance benefits the associated charity. As of May 2025, Omaze has conducted draws featuring 37 different homes.