The My Reno Rules home giveaway promises some big rewards, but it turns out the fine print reveals a more complicated story.
The new renovation series kicked off on Channel Seven on Monday. Hosted by Dr. Chris Brown and bankrolled by billionaire and The Block big spender Adrian Portelli, the reality show features four teams as they renovate two Melbourne homes.
While the teams have the potential to walk away from the series with a whopping one million dollars or a runners up prize of $250,000 AUD, fans at home can also go into the running to win the two finished homes or select the a cash alternative of $2 million.
According to the Seven Network, it’s “biggest giveaway in Australian TV history”. However, despite the exciting prospect, entries into the competition come at a cost.
To enter, fans must purchase a membership from the company’s subscription-based rewards club. The minimum spend to be included in the My Reno Rules competition is the Entry level package at $10 AUD, which comes with three “free entries” into the My Reno Rules giveaway.
Meanwhile, the most expensive option is the Platinum package at $500 AUD with 1500 “free entries” into the giveaway. While TV WEEK has contacted Seven for a comment regarding the unusual television giveaway format, they have not responded to our query.
Although it’s an unusual prize format for a television network, it’s worth noting that the show wouldn’t even be on the air without Portelli. After all, he was the one who purchased the two 1970s Bulleen houses in the first place for the renovations to take place.
In a chat with TV WEEK, Portelli said he was willing to put his own dime on the line to be able to give back to the families tuning in at home — and it was clear that he thinks My Reno Rules offers more reward to the contestants than it’s Channel Nine rival, The Block.
“Other TV shows, you’ve got people that watch these homes being transformed right before their very own eyes. It’s almost bittersweet because the majority of these people would never be able to afford two, three multi-million dollar homes,” Portelli explained.
“To be able to give viewers a chance to potentially own these homes without the multi-million dollar price tag, it just offers a whole different perception on the viewing experience because now people that essentially can’t afford a multi-million dollar home now have the opportunity to own this home that they’re watching.”
Portelli didn’t just buy the houses used for the show, he’s also donating the cash prize to the winner. Originally, the top prize was meant to be $100,000. However, after seeing how hard the contestants were working, he decided to add more money to the prize pot.
“It was a last minute decision to up the prize money,” Portelli revealed.
“Once again, it brings a different dynamic to the show because now you’ve got contestants that are fighting for prize money other than the results of an auction. By raising the stakes, it just adds to a more competitive environment and it was fun.
It was fun. And $100K… I was embarrassed offering that. They are working very hard, these teams. And when I went and saw how hard they’re working, I was like, ‘oh man, I wouldn’t do this for a bunch of credit. I’ve got to raise the bar a little bit’.”
So, how do these giveaways actually work?
LMCT+ is a company known best for its expensive, headline-grabbing giveaways of luxury cars and cash prizes. But despite these promotions being the primary drawcard for members, the company positions itself as a membership-based rewards platform rather than a lottery-style promotion, which is heavily regulated in Australia.
Members pay a one-off or recurring fee to join what LMCT+ describes as “Australia’s best rewards club and shopping tool”. In return, members gain access to discounts on all sorts of goods and services. One of the most recent perks is that members can access heavily discounted fuel at a service station launched by Portelli in Melbourne, which is reportedly selling fuel for as little as $1 per litre.
Importantly, giveaway entries are bundled up into the membership and marketed as being “free”, with more entries given to those who unlock higher-level membership packages, or in other words, pay a higher membership fee.
So, instead of the entries being sold directly — which is not permitted — the membership is the important distinction that allows LMCT+ and similar businesses to host giveaways in most Australian states, as the state-based trade laws in most Aussie states require giveaway or promotions which resemble lotteries to either be free to connected with the purchase of legitimate goods or a service.
Are viewers in South Australia eligible?
Sadly, viewers in South Australia are not eligible to enter the My Reno Rules giveaway due to state law requirements, with any entry purchased by a SA citizen considered invalid.
According to SA state law, trade promotions require a permit and are more stringent about competition structure than other states. The strict no-SA entries likely come after Portelli and his company Xclusive Tech Pty Ltd faced a total of 19 charges of being a person conducting/assisting in the conduct of an unlawful lottery in May 2025.
In March 2026, Portelli was found not guilty of nine charges relating to running illegal lotteries in South Australia. However, Xclusive Tech was found guilty of 10 charges and fined $40,000.
Where can I watch My Reno Rules?
You can tune into My Reno Rules at 7:30pm on Tuesday and Wednesday on Seven or 7Plus.
