- Father-of-two Graham Dunlop was revealed as the winner of the house last week
- Are YOU worried Omaze houses could ruin house prices in your area? Email matthew.lodge@mailonline.co.uk
A Majorcan mayor has demanded an investigation into an Omaze draw which only offered a £3million Spanish holiday villa to British residents of the island.
Joan Rotger, the right-wing mayor of Selva, has said the giving away of the luxury property close to his town could affect local house prices and questioned the legality of not opening the draw to Spanish or non-UK residents.
The house, which boasts its own swimming pool and lies in picturesque countryside between Selva and the village of Caimari, was won by father-of-two Graham Dunlop last week.
But Mr Rotger says people in his town are ‘worried’ the draw could be repeated and has insisted police and government bosses look into whether it was legal.
Omaze, which has become a household name with its giveaways of stunning properties across Britain while raising money for charity, insists it has complied with all ‘local, national and international laws’.
Are YOU worried Omaze houses could ruin house prices in your area? Email matthew.lodge@mailonline.co.uk
Edinburgh-born businessman Mr Dunlop and his primary school teacher wife Amanda, who live near Southampton, were left amazed after finding they had won the property.
The 52-year-old had only bought a ticket after being urged to donate to Alzheimer’s Research UK, which was the charity this draw was supporting, by a stranger.
However, the draw has sparked anger from some locals. including Mr Rotger, on the Spanish island which is a popular tourist destination.
Before Mr Dunlop was announced as the winner, the Spanish mayor had written to a central government delegation in the Balearic Islands to demand officials study whether it complied with Spanish law.
He was told police and regional government bosses had been asked to look into his complaint, which questioned the fact the draw was only open to UK residents.
Mr Rotger, who represents the conservative People’s Party, said overnight he would reiterate his calls for a proper inquiry into the Omaze draw following its recent conclusion.
He claimed local residents in Selva, a picturesque town at the foot of the Tramontana Mountain range, were ‘worried’.
The politician told newspaper Diario de Mallorca as he expressed his fears draws of this sort could affect house prices: ‘What would happen if this type of draw was repeated a thousand times with other houses?’
Complaining local residents and other non UK-residents had been excluded, he pledged: ‘No-one has properly answered my concerns yet but I will be reiterating them and seeking answers to the issues I’ve raised.’
The Majorcan-based National Police Gaming Control Service had been asked to look into Mr Rotger’s concerns along with regional government business and gaming officials.
It was not immediately clear this morning whether they have begun to study the Omaze draw’s compliance with Spanish law and what conclusions they have reached.
An Omaze spokesperson said: ‘The Omaze Mallorca Superdraw is entirely compliant with all local, national and international laws and regulations.
‘Omaze takes extensive, expert legal advice before launching any of its draws or competitions – the Mallorca Superdraw is wholly legitimate and compliant.
‘Omaze has not received any complaints, enquiries or communications whatsoever from any Regulator or Authority concerning the draw.
‘Omaze raises vital funds for good causes and is very proud to have raised £3,100,000 for its charity partner Alzheimer’s Research UK with this Mallorca Superdraw – bringing the total raised for the charity by Omaze to £4,100,000.’
IT worker Mr Dunlop revealed last week he was inspired to enter the Omaze draw that ended with him winning his Majorcan home by a woman who sold him a second-hand armchair.
He told how he went to collect the battered leather chair after buying it online – and was told by its seller he could have had it for free if he donated to Alzheimer’s Research UK.
He made his donation but then decided to enter the Omaze prize draw after spotting it was supporting the charity.
Mr Dunlop, who has lived in his current house four-bed house near Southampton with wife-of-15 years Amanda and their two teenage children since 2014, explained: ‘The reason I entered the draw is quite random really, I’d been after an armchair for my home office for a while and one popped up on Gumtree.
‘I went to pick it up but when we arrived the woman refused to take any money for it.
‘Instead, she asked that we put something towards an Alzheimer’s charity, as her late husband had dementia.
‘So I made a donation to Alzheimer’s Research UK, then saw that they’d also partnered with Omaze, so I bought an entry to the Superdraw on top.
‘I didn’t give it a second thought and had totally forgotten I’d even entered.
‘My wife didn’t like the look of my lucky chair at first, but of course she absolutely loves it now!
‘You could say my £3million prize cost me an armchair and a leg! I’ll bring the chair out here for sure, although it might look a bit odd next to the pool.’
He also admitted he had forgotten he had entered the draw after Omaze first contacted him to tell him he’d won a prize.
He said of the villa, which is between Selva and the village of Caimari: ‘It’s simply stunning, I love the design of the place and the views are spectacular.
‘I just can’t believe it’s all ours – even if I jumped in the pool I don’t think it would sink in!
‘We love Spain but never dreamed we’d ever own a place here – especially one like this! I might have to work on my Spanish a bit – although I can order a cerveza with no problems.
‘I’ve got a large extended family that we’ve not seen for a while – I’m really looking forward to getting us all together out here.’
He added: ‘I’ve never won anything before – but this is worth waiting 52 years for! I’m not sure what we’re going to do long term yet.
‘We’ll definitely be enjoying a few family holidays here – whatever we decide, this win is fantastic for our family’s future.’
American founded company Omaze has become famous for offering up extravagant homes across the UK as prizes in raffle-style draws.
It defines itself as a for-profit, social impact company which launched in the UK in 2020 following its 2012 founding in the States.
In written evidence submitted to a UK government inquiry into gambling regulation, Omaze has stated in the past: ‘Omaze is a regulated prize draw. This means that, in line with the provisions of the Act, our draws are not gambling and are therefore not regulated by the Act’s provisions beyond those for regulated prize draws.’
As well as making Mr Dunlop a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw, Mallorca, also raised £3.1million for Alzheimer’s Research UK – the UK’s leading dementia research charity – in just six weeks.
Dementia is the UK’s leading cause of death, claiming more than 74,000 lives in 2022. Sadly, if nothing changes, one in two people will be directly affected by the condition – either by caring for someone with it, developing it themselves, or both.
Although the first generation of Alzheimer’s treatments proven to slow the disease are on the horizon, there are none yet available in the UK.
The £3.1million raised by the latest partnership with Omaze will support the charity’s Clinical Accelerator Programme, boosting clinical research for dementia across the UK and speeding up progress towards a cure.
Hilary Evans, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK said: ‘We’re delighted that Omaze, and all those who entered the Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw in Mallorca, have raised a phenomenal £3.1million for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
‘Nearly a million people in the UK have dementia, and we urgently need to find more and better treatments so that we can take away the fear, harm and heartbreak that this devastating condition causes.
‘The vital funds raised will support our Clinical Accelerator Programme, which will boost clinical research taking place in the NHS and ultimately speed up progress towards a cure. This is an exciting step forward in our efforts to transform the lives of people affected by dementia
‘Thank you Omaze, and everyone who entered, for standing with us for a cure.’
An Omaze spokesperson said: ‘The Omaze Mallorca Superdraw is entirely compliant with all local, national and international laws and regulations. Omaze takes extensive, expert legal advice before launching any of its draws or competitions – the Mallorca Superdraw is wholly legitimate and compliant. Omaze has not received any complaints, enquiries or communications whatsoever from any Regulator or Authority concerning the draw.
‘Omaze raises vital funds for good causes and is very proud to have raised £3,100,000 for its charity partner Alzheimer’s Research UK with this Mallorca Superdraw – bringing the total raised for the charity by Omaze to £4,100,000.’
Mr Rotger insisted today Mr Dunlop and his family would be ‘welcomed with open arms’ if they decide to spend time at their new villa.
But he said he was determined to get to the bottom of whether Omaze had complied with local and national laws and administrative regulations governing draws of its kind in Spain and the Balearic Islands.
The politician is a qualified lawyer and has been Selva’s mayor for nearly three decades since 1995 with a brief interruption from 2016 to 2019.
He also spent four years in charge of the regional government department which could have been asked to probe the prize draw if it had happened today.
Mr Rotger said: ‘I was concerned when I found out about this draw because I was struck by the fact that it was offering an asset in one territory and limiting the right to acquire it to residents in another place.
‘My concern was based partly on the fact local residents expressed their worry to me about the effect of the draw on the property market but also on my years of experience as a mayor, lawyer and director or a regional government department covering areas such as gambling.
‘My understanding is Omaze would need to have an administrative authorisation which could only be granted if the proposed draw complied with the relevant Spanish laws governing this activity and these are the sort of questions I am seeking an answer to.
‘I will be insisting again on a full inquiry now I know the house near Selva has a new owner.
‘I don’t know the new homeowner personally but as and when he wants to come here with his family, we’ll welcome them with open news.
‘Selva and its people are very open and receptive.
‘But what I’m looking for here is transparency and to make sure that what Omaze has done is possible, why it’s been possible, and whether it’s appropriate that it continues to be so if it is.’
Spanish police in Majorca and the regional Balearic Islands government have both been approached for comment.
A central government representative for the Balearic Islands region, who Mr Rotger has said he will approach again as a first step to reiterate his calls for an investigation, was unavailable for comment at lunchtime today.
