Vote Leave accused of 'con' competition that lures voters to hand over personal data

The campaign has set up a prize draw with eight billion-to-one odds on a £50 million prize

The competition is also based on a widely-criticised figure (iStock)

The campaign to leave the EU has been accused of a “con” after it launched a prize draw with a supposed one in eight billion chance of winning the top prize.

The “50 million” competition asks people to hand over their personal details in exchange for a chance to win £50 million – if they guess the correct result of every match in the Euro 2016 tournament.

Bookmakers’ Ladbrokes say the chance of guessing multiple matches between the 24 teams in the tournaments group and knockout stages is eight billion to one.

To gain access to the prize draw, contestants give their mobile number, Facebook profile, and email address.

Access to such personal contact information might give Vote Leave an advantage on referendum day if it allows the campaign to effectively mobilise its vote.

Will Straw, executive director of Britain Stronger In Europe, said: “This competition is a con. The odds of winning this competition are 8 billion to one. The same length of odds as Vote Leave coming up with a coherent vision for what life would look like outside the EU.

“Given the £50m figure is a work of fiction, this is a political Ponzi scheme with Dominic Cummings acting as Vote Leave’s Bernie Madoff.

“Once again Vote Leave put wild guesswork at the heart of their campaign and it is the British people who they are asking to take the risk.”

Vote Leave claims £50 million is the amount Britain pays the EU “every single day”. If no winner is found the closest entry would win £50,000, the campaign said.

It has previously been told to stop using the same £350 million a week figure by the UK Statistics Authority, which said it was “potentially misleading”.

The figure does not take into account the British rebate and also does not take into account EU funding directed to Britain, or any other economic benefits.

The competition’s website says of the figure: “We chose £50 million as the big prize because that's how much of our money we hand over to the EU every single day!

“That's a hell of a lot of money. What would you spend it on?”

Despite the £50 million figure’s dubious nature it appears to have entered the public consciousness – illustrated by exchanges with the audience during the first televised EU referendum debate last night.

StrongerIn’s Alan Johnson protested against an audience member’s use of the figure, but she insisted it was correct, citing the former mayor of London Boris Johnson.

The EU referendum takes place on 23 June this year. Phone polls suggest a significant lead for the Remain campaign, while online polls tend to suggest a neck-and-neck race.