How do you run a raffle legally?

For a small society lottery or raffle the following must be included on the ticket.

• The name of your society.


• The ticket price, which must be the same for all tickets.


• The name and address of the promoter (but not necessarily a private address).


• The date of the draw, or information which enables the date to be determined.


• If the organisation running the draw is a registered charity, the registered number must be shown on the ticket.


• The ticket must show the name of the council it is registered with but doesn't need to include the licence number.

For incidental and private lotteries, there are no specific printing requirements as long as each ticket has a unique identifier. When you order raffle tickets from us, we include all the required information automatically.

No, not for a small society lottery. The counterfoil (stub) is the part the organiser keeps to record who bought each ticket and to draw the winner. Without it, you have no way to match a winning number to a buyer, and you cannot meet the record-keeping requirements under the Gambling Act 2005.

For an incidental lottery at an event, the rules are more relaxed — you can use simple roll tickets or cloakroom tickets without a traditional counterfoil, as long as each ticket has a unique number. The organiser keeps the matching half or duplicate number for the draw.

For a small society raffle, the maximum prize cannot exceed £25,000, even if it's donated. You also cannot sell more than £20,000 worth of tickets per raffle or £250,000 in any one year.

Technically yes, but it is extremely difficult to do legally. A car or house raffle is still a lottery under the Gambling Act 2005, which means the same rules apply: it must be run by a non-commercial society, not for private profit, and ticket sales cannot exceed £20,000 per draw.

That £20,000 limit is the main problem. If a car is worth £15,000 and you sell £20,000 of tickets, only £5,000 remains for costs, the 20% good cause contribution and any other expenses. For a house worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, a small society lottery simply cannot work — you would need a full Gambling Commission operating licence, which is expensive and difficult to obtain. Most "house raffle" schemes in the UK are structured as prize competitions (with an element of skill) to avoid gambling law entirely.

You would be in breach of the Gambling Act 2005. The small society lottery limit is £20,000 in ticket sales per draw and £250,000 per year. Exceeding either limit means the raffle is no longer legally a small society lottery and would require a full operating licence from the Gambling Commission.

In practice, if you think you might go over the £20,000 per-draw limit, contact your local council before the draw. They can advise on next steps. It is far better to flag it early than to be found in breach afterwards. To avoid this, work out your maximum ticket sales before ordering from our raffle ticket printing service — for example, 10,000 tickets at £2 each is exactly the £20,000 limit.

Yes, if you are holding a small society raffle you will need to register with your local authority or council. This will cost £40 initially and then £20 a year.

For private or incidental raffles you do not need to register. However, all three types must follow the rules set by the Gambling Commission — see our sections on the different types of raffle for the specific rules that apply to each.

No, a raffle at an event counts as an incidental lottery and does not need a licence. However, you must follow these rules set by the Gambling Commission:

• Money must be raised for non commercial gain.


• You can sell tickets to anyone at the event only, on location whilst the event is taking place. You cannot sell online.


• Tickets must have unique numbers or identifiers so you can pick a winner.


• No limits to how much you can charge for a ticket, and can also offer discounts for multiple buys.

It depends on the type of raffle. For a small society lottery, yes — you can sell tickets in the weeks and months leading up to the draw. This is the most common approach and is how most of our customers sell the majority of their tickets.

For an incidental lottery (a raffle at a fair, fete or event), tickets can only be sold at the event itself, while the event is taking place. You cannot pre-sell incidental lottery tickets in advance. If you want to sell tickets before the event, you need to register as a small society lottery with your local council instead.

Yes, if the school or PTA is running a small society lottery — which most school raffles are — they need to register with their local council. The cost is £40 to register and £20 per year to renew.

The exception is a raffle held at a school event such as a summer fair or Christmas fete. This counts as an incidental lottery and does not require registration, as long as tickets are only sold at the event on the day. Many schools run both: a registered small society raffle with tickets sent home in book bags before the event, and a separate incidental raffle or tombola on the day itself.

Register with your local council's licensing department. The fee is £40 for the initial application and £20 per year to renew. Most councils have an online application form — search for "small society lottery registration" on your council's website, or call their licensing team directly.

Registration with your local council costs £40 for the initial application and £20 per year to renew. This covers all the small society lotteries your organisation runs during that year — you do not pay per raffle.

If you are running an incidental lottery at an event or a private lottery for club members, there is no registration fee at all. These types of raffle do not require a licence.

Yes, but the address does not need to be a private address and can be the address of the society.

The promoter is responsible for the raffle, including keeping official records of how many tickets were sold, where they were sold, and how the proceeds were distributed.

The promoter is required to keep records of every ticket sale, where it was bought and the information of the buyer. This should be provided in the return report that needs to be sent back to the registered authority. Each council may slightly differ and so it's best to ask them what they require from you before you begin selling.

Yes, legally a raffle is a form of gambling. It falls under the Gambling Act 2005 because participants pay money for the chance to win a prize, and the outcome is decided by chance. This is why raffles are regulated by the Gambling Commission and require registration with your local council.

In practice, most raffle ticket buyers see it as a donation to a good cause with the bonus of possibly winning a prize. The amounts involved are small — typically £1 per ticket — and the money goes directly to the community. But from a legal standpoint, it is gambling, which is why the age restriction (under-16s cannot buy tickets) and licensing rules apply.

No. Any non-commercial society can run a raffle, not just registered charities. This includes schools, PTAs, sports clubs, scout groups, community groups, churches and any other organisation that exists for purposes other than private profit.

A business cannot run a raffle for its own commercial benefit. However, a business can sponsor prizes for a raffle run by a qualifying society, and many local businesses do exactly that.

If your organisation is a registered charity, your charity number must be printed on the raffle ticket. For all other societies, the society name, the promoter's name and address, and the council you are registered with must appear on the ticket.

Any non-commercial organisation can hold a raffle in the UK, including schools, PTAs, sports clubs, scout groups, churches, community groups and registered charities. You do not need to be a registered charity — you just need to be a society that exists for a purpose other than private profit.

An individual cannot hold a raffle on their own. There must be a society behind it, and that society must register with the local council if running a small society lottery. For an incidental lottery at an event, no registration is needed but the raffle must still be for non-commercial purposes.

No. Under the Gambling Act 2005, raffle proceeds must go to the purposes of the society running the raffle — not to private or commercial gain. A minimum of 20% of ticket sales must go directly to the good cause.

This means a business cannot run a raffle to boost its own revenue. However, a non-commercial society such as a school PTA, sports club or charity can use raffle funds for things like new equipment, building repairs or community projects, as long as these align with the society's stated purpose. Individuals cannot run raffles for personal gain either — there must always be a qualifying society behind it.

No. If people pay for the chance to win a prize and the winner is chosen at random, it is a lottery under the Gambling Act 2005 — regardless of what you call it. Calling it a "prize draw", "lucky dip" or "fundraising game" does not change the legal classification. The same registration and licensing rules apply.

The only way to avoid gambling law is to add a genuine element of skill (making it a competition rather than a lottery) or to make entry completely free. If you are unsure, check with your local council before selling any tickets.

No, Gift Aid can only be claimed on donations. With a raffle you are getting something in return.

No, if the raffle is run by a charity or non-profit society for its stated purposes, the proceeds are exempt from corporation tax and income tax. This applies to small society lotteries, incidental lotteries and private lotteries.

However, the promoter is still required to submit a return report to the local council after each draw, detailing how many tickets were sold and how the proceeds were distributed. If you are unsure about your specific situation, check with your council or speak to an accountant.

No. Lottery and raffle ticket sales are exempt from VAT under UK tax law. This applies to all types of raffle — small society, incidental and private. You do not need to charge VAT on the ticket price, regardless of how many tickets you sell.

No. Under the Gambling Act 2005, it is illegal to sell lottery tickets — including raffle tickets — to anyone under the age of 16. This applies to small society lotteries and private lotteries.

The one exception is an incidental lottery (a raffle held at an event like a fair or fete). Children can buy tickets at an incidental lottery, but only if none of the prizes include alcohol. If any prize contains alcohol, tickets cannot be sold to under-16s even at an incidental lottery.

A parent or guardian can buy tickets on behalf of a child for any type of raffle — the restriction is on selling directly to the child, not on who ultimately benefits from the ticket.

Yes, you can include alcohol as a raffle prize. There is no restriction on offering alcohol in a small society lottery or private lottery.

The only thing to be aware of is that if you are running an incidental lottery at an event and any of your prizes include alcohol, you cannot sell tickets to anyone under the age of 16. If you want children to be able to buy tickets at your event, keep alcohol out of the prize list or run the alcohol prizes as a separate adults-only draw.

It's possible, but it is up to your local authority or council to approve. Contact them before making any changes to the draw date, as the date is printed on your tickets and published in your promotional material.

No, not for most organisations. Selling raffle tickets on Facebook is selling online, which requires a Gambling Commission operating licence. What you can do is use Facebook to promote your raffle and sell the physical tickets in person. For more detail, see our section on running a raffle on Facebook.

Not without a Gambling Commission operating licence or a registered External Lottery Manager (ELM). For most small society raffles, school PTAs and community groups, selling tickets online is not legal. You can promote your raffle online — via social media, email and your own website — but the actual ticket sale must happen in person.

If your organisation needs to sell tickets online, you will either need to apply for a Gambling Commission operating licence or partner with a registered ELM who handles the online ticket sales on your behalf. This is generally only practical for larger national charities.

Only if the organiser holds a Gambling Commission operating licence or uses a registered External Lottery Manager (ELM). Most of the "online raffles" you see on social media are either running illegally or are actually prize competitions (which have a skill element and fall outside gambling law).

If you are a small society, the safest and most effective approach is to promote your raffle online but sell the physical tickets in person. This is completely legal and is how thousands of our customers run their raffles every year.

The raffle draw can take place anywhere as long as the participants are aware of it. You may wish to double check with your local council if they have any specific restrictions though.

Yes, you can run both at the same event. A tombola is classed as an incidental lottery just like a raffle held at an event, so the same rules apply to each one independently. You do not need a separate licence for the tombola as long as tickets for both are sold on the day, at the venue, and for non-commercial purposes.

The key thing is to keep the finances separate so you can account for each one clearly in your records. Many of our customers run a raffle alongside a tombola at school fairs and fetes — it works well because the tombola gives instant wins while the raffle builds anticipation for the bigger prizes.

Not for the raffle itself. There is no legal requirement to hold public liability insurance simply to sell raffle tickets or conduct a draw.

However, if your raffle is part of a larger event such as a fair, fete or festival, the venue or local council will almost certainly require the event organiser to have public liability insurance. This covers the event as a whole, not the raffle specifically. Most schools, charities and community groups already have a policy in place — check with your organisation before the event.