Cookies Policy
Cookie Policy
WinPlay Private Limited
Last updated: April 2026 Company No. 16345818 — Incorporated in England and Wales Registered Office: Unit 13 Freeland Park, Wareham, BH16 6FA, United Kingdom
This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, which cookies WinPlay uses, why we use them, and how you can manage your preferences. This policy applies to all pages and features of thewinplay.com, including both the Spot the Ball competition system and the WinPlay Premier League (WPL) quiz system.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They allow the website to remember information about your visit — such as your login status, preferences, and session progress — and to deliver relevant advertising. Cookies can be first-party (set by WinPlay directly) or third-party (set by advertising and analytics partners).
Cookie Categories on WinPlay
Category 1 — Essential Cookies (Always Active)
These cookies are strictly necessary for the platform to function. They cannot be disabled without preventing you from using WinPlay's core features. No personal data collected by essential cookies is used for advertising.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| stb_session | Maintains your login session across pages | Session |
| stb_auth_token | Authenticates your account securely | 30 days |
| stb_game_state | Preserves your in-progress Spot the Ball marker placement | Session |
| wpl_session_state | Preserves your WPL session progress and current question | Session |
| wpl_timer_sync | Maintains the 5-minute WPL timer accurately across browser events | Session |
| cookie_consent | Stores your cookie consent preferences | 12 months |
| csrf_token | Protects against cross-site request forgery security threats | Session |
Note on WPL-specific essential cookies: The wpl_session_state and wpl_timer_sync cookies are essential for WPL to function correctly. Without them, your session progress cannot be preserved and the 5-minute timer cannot be accurately maintained. These cookies contain no personal data beyond an anonymised session identifier.
Category 2 — Analytics Cookies (Optional)
These cookies help us understand how participants use WinPlay so we can improve both competitions. All analytics data is aggregated and anonymised — it is not used to identify individual participants or target advertising.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique visitors for aggregate traffic analysis | 2 years |
| ga[ID] | Google Analytics | Stores session state for Google Analytics 4 | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Distinguishes users within a 24-hour period | 24 hours |
You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking at: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
Category 3 — Advertising Cookies — Google AdSense (Optional)
WinPlay displays advertisements through Google AdSense. These cookies enable Google to serve relevant advertisements to users and measure advertising effectiveness. If you decline advertising cookies, you will still see advertisements on WinPlay — but they will be non-personalised.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| __gads | Registers advertisement interactions for frequency capping and performance | 13 months | |
| __gpi | Stores advertising preferences and user identifiers | 13 months | |
| IDE | DoubleClick (Google) | Used by Google DoubleClick to record and report advertisement click actions | 13 months |
| DSID | Identifies signed-in Google users to serve relevant personalised advertising | 2 weeks | |
| NID | Registers a unique identifier for personalised advertising for non-signed-in users | 6 months |
You can opt out of Google personalised advertising at: https://www.google.com/settings/ads
For more information on how Google uses data when you use WinPlay, visit: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites
Category 4 — WPL Rewarded Video Advertisement Cookies (Conditional)
These cookies are specific to the WPL second-chance mechanism. They are only activated when a WPL session triggers the rewarded video advertisement — that is, when a participant answers a question incorrectly on their first attempt. These cookies are not set during normal Spot the Ball usage, and are not set during WPL sessions where the participant does not trigger the second-chance mechanic.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| rv_session_id | Video Ad Network | Identifies the rewarded video session for accurate delivery | Session |
| rv_viewability | Video Ad Network | Measures whether the video advertisement was fully viewed | Session |
| rv_frequency | Video Ad Network | Prevents the same advertisement from being shown repeatedly within a session | Session |
| rv_partner_id | Video Ad Network | Identifies the advertising partner for revenue attribution | 30 days |
Important disclosure: These rewarded video advertisement cookies are part of the WPL game mechanic as disclosed in the WPL rules, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policy. The rewarded video advertisement is mandatory for second-chance access in WPL — it is the mechanism through which WPL generates advertising revenue while remaining free to play. Participants who do not wish to encounter this cookie category may choose not to use the second-chance feature, or may choose not to participate in WPL. Spot the Ball does not use rewarded video advertisements.
Managing Your Cookie Preferences
You can update your cookie preferences at any time using the Cookie Settings link in the footer of every WinPlay page. This opens a preference panel where you can enable or disable each optional cookie category.
You can also manage cookies through your browser settings. All major browsers allow you to view, block, or delete cookies:
- Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and Other Site Data
- Mozilla Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
- Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
- Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and Site Permissions
Note that blocking essential cookies will prevent you from logging in and participating in competitions. Blocking WPL session cookies will prevent WPL from functioning correctly.
Third-Party Cookie Resources
For more information on how our advertising and analytics partners use cookies:
- Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
- Google AdSense Programme Policies: https://support.google.com/adsense/answer/48182
- Google Analytics Opt-Out: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
- Your Online Choices (EU/UK): https://www.youronlinechoices.com
- Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out: https://optout.networkadvertising.org
Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes in the cookies we use, new game features (including new advertising formats), or changes in applicable law. Any updates will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Material changes will be notified via the cookie consent banner on your next visit to thewinplay.com.
