Legal Requirements for Holding a Raffle in Victoria, Australia

In Victoria, Australia, a raffle is defined as an event where people can buy tickets in order to gain a chance at winning an item from a predefined prize pool. The definition and the legislation that stands behind it can be found under the Gambling Regulation Regulations 2005. Similar to the other Australian regions, Victora has its own regulatory body: the VCGLR (Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation). The commission operates under the Victorian Department of Justice.

Knowing and understanding the laws and regulations of Victoria are essential to holding a legal raffle. Illegal events will be punished accordingly to the penal law!

Conducting a raffle in Victoria requires a company or organization to first register as a nonprofit or charitable organization with the VCGLR. In order to register your company, the VCGLR provides extensive documentation and application forms on their official website.

The application for registering must be submitted to the VCGLR at least 21 days prior to the date of the raffle. There are cases when this process can be sped up, but it cannot be guaranteed. Once approved, the registration is valid for 10 years. However, a company can renounce its registration at any time.

Besides the initial registration with VCGLR, a company must also apply for a minor gaming permit if the total prize pool of the planned raffle exceeds $5,000. Every company looking to apply for a minor gaming permit must first appoint a nominee to be their representative. The VCGLR can approve or deny the appointed nominee. Moreover, as a part of the permit application, the nominee will have to provide a credit check, fingerprints, and a National Police Certificate.

Once the nominee is appointed, he or she will be solely responsible for supervising the raffle activity and its legality.

Small Raffles

Any raffle with a total prize pool that doesn’t exceed $500 can be considered a small raffle. Due to the small prize pool, there are very few regulations in place for these events. The organizer of the raffle is not required to print tickets, while the value of the tickets must be at least twice that of the prize pool. Moreover, records of funds, tickets, and prizes must be kept for 3 years.

Medium Raffles

If the total prize value ranges between $501 and $5,000, the raffle is considered medium-sized. A minor gaming permit is not required for these events. However, printed numbered tickets are required. Each ticket must contain enough details for the organizer to be able to contact the winner and vice-versa. The draw date must be no later than 3 months after the tickets are put on sale and it must be printed on the ticket.

Large Raffles

Every raffle that has a prize pool exceeding $5,000 is considered to be a large raffle and requires a minor gaming permit. Printed numbered tickets are also a requirement. If the total prize pool exceeds $100,000 the company’s nominee must obtain a National Police Certificate. This certificate must also be obtained if the prize pool exceeds $60,000 and the price of the printed tickets is $35 or more


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How to Keep Your Raffle Legal in Quebec

Raffles are not illegal in Canada but they are strictly regulated. Charitable and religious organizations are the only types of establishments that can hold a raffle that is considered legal. Although there are certain similarities between Canadian regions, each has its own set of laws and regulations regarding raffles. Moreover, each province has its own regulatory body which must be contacted in order to receive a valid raffle license.

The RACJ (Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux) is the legal panel established by the government of Quebec to regulate all aspects regarding alcohol, games (including raffles), and racing.

Holding a raffle event and printing numbered raffle tickets for it can only be done by 3 types of organizations in Quebec:

1. Those which donate all the proceeds towards a charitable cause
2. Those who organize a fair or an exhibition
3. Those which have leased a concession from either a fair or an exhibition

In other words, unless you’re holding a charitable raffle or you have an event that’s open to the public, without restrictions, you won’t be able to apply for a raffle license.

If the raffle even that you’re planning will have a total prize value of more than $1,000, the government must be informed at least 30 days in advance. In all other cases, a 5 days notice will be enough.

The process of applying for a raffle license is very straightforward. The RACJ provides an online portal that contains the necessary forms required for the application. Besides the application, a number of other documents are required:

• A document stating the maximum number of participants and chances of winning
• A statement regarding the total value of the prize, including a short description of each prize
• A draft of the printed numbered ticket that will be sold to participants
• A proof of security detail is required if the total prize value exceeds $20,000 or at least one prize is valued at over $1,000.

Documents Required After the Raffle

Once the raffle is over, the organizer is allowed up to 60 days to submit a statement to the Quebec licensing board. The statement must include the following:

• Number of printed tickets; number of sold tickets; price of each ticket
• Total proceeds acquired from the sale of the tickets
• Value of the prizes (awarded and claimed); initial cost of the prizes
• Total expenses and profit/loss statement
• Name and address for every winner who was awarded a prize valued at $100 or more

Printing Legal Tickets

The law requires you to include very specific information on your printed raffle tickets:

• Price
• Name of the company or person benefiting from the draw
• Draw order of the prizes and the retail price of each
• Sequential number of the ticket and the number of printed tickets
• License number issued by the RACJ
• Location, date, and time of the raffle draw
• Specific time period for the winners to claim their prizes

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How to Organize a Legal Raffle in British Columbia

Similar to other Canadian regions, British Columbia has its own laws. Operating without a license is prohibited by the law. Currently, only charitable and religious organizations can obtain a license from the corresponding office. Regardless, the goal of the raffle must be to raise funds to be used either by a local community or by a 3rd party working towards improving the local community.

A nonprofit or religious organization must first apply for the correct corresponding license before it can run a legal raffle and print numbered raffle tickets.

Reading and understanding the standard licensing procedure and guidelines is a must before applying for a license. Missing documents could lead to further delays or even a negative response. Luckily, the GPEB (Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch) of British Columbia has a wide range of services that are available for organizations looking to obtain a raffle license. Application forms may be submitted on the online platform supplied by the GPEB or sent by post. Emails and faxes are not permitted.

There are several factors that will guide the organization towards the correct license, including price of tickets, gross revenue, expected ticket proceeds, and type of organization requesting the license:

Class A License

Every raffle that has an expected revenue that exceeds $20,000 will fall under this category. In these cases, the raffle event organizer and the person holding the finances must be two different people. Moreover, the proceeds cannot be held in the company’s account. A new, separate account must be created for all financial deposits and withdrawals related to the raffle proceeds. The company that organizes the raffle must apply for a license at least 10 weeks in advance of the actual raffle date.

Class B License

Raffles with an expected revenue of less than $20,000 will fall under this category. Once the receipt of a completed application is received, it may take an additional 3 days for the registry to process the data and release the new license. However, there are cases where there is insufficient information provided. Such cases may take a longer period of time to be approved for a license.

Class C License

Community fairs and exhibitions that hold raffles will have to receive this license before being able to hold any public events. For a fair or exhibition even to be considered eligible for a raffle license, the duration of the event must be at least 3 days or longer. Moreover, the event must be open to the public, without restrictions.

Class D License

Small raffles with an expected revenue that doesn’t pass the $5,000 threshold will fall under this category. The funds from these small raffles must be used to help the community, either on a local level or through a third party. The proceeds from the raffle cannot be used outside of British Columbia.

How to Correctly Print Numbered Raffle Tickets

In order to conform to all regulations, you can choose to print numbered raffle tickets or create and distribute them on a digital platform.

If you decide to print numbered raffle tickets, there are several rules that have been published and updated in January 2016. Each ticket must consist of two independent, detachable parts:

Part 1, which is retained by the raffle participant:

• Name and address of the license holder accompanied by a telephone number
• License number for the gaming event, written as “BC Gaming Event License #_____”
• Sequential number of the ticket and total number of tickets that were printed
• Ticket price
• Location and date of the raffle draw(s)
• The words "Winners consent to the release of their names by the licensee."

Part 2, which is retained by the raffle organizer:

• Designated area that contains details regarding the full name of the ticket purchaser, as well as telephone number and address
• License number for the gaming event, written as “BC Gaming Event License #_____”
• Sequential number of the ticket

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Raffle Regulations in New South Wales: Everything You Need to Know

Raffles are a well-known method of raising funds for a good cause. Whether the proceeds are distributed towards various charities or used to make improvements to a community that needs help, raffles can easily raise enough money to cover such needs. However, although anyone can print numbered raffle tickets and hold a raffle, there are certain regulations that must be met in order for the raffle to be legal.

In Australia, any type of fundraising raffle is considered a “gaming event” and must abide by certain laws and regulations. Similar to other countries from around the world, the Australian government allows each region to have its own rules and regulations.

New South Wales is no different. Every raffle and similar gaming events must abide strict regulations that are set in place by the New South Wales Office of Liquor, Gaming, and Racing. Knowing the laws will help you avoid an accidental illegal raffle that could have unpleasant repercussions.

Similar to casinos and other licensed clubs, a raffle event is subject to laws and regulations that are meant to protect both the consumer and the organizers of the event.

Important Raffle Regulations

Charitable and nonprofit organizations do not need to apply for a license if the total prize value does not exceed $30,000. In this case, the raffles are considered lotteries and are subjected to certain regulations.

If a charitable organization plans on holding a raffle with a prize value which exceed $30,000, it must apply for a license from the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming, and Racing. In these cases, the raffles are referred to as “art unions”, and the regulations are different from those for lotteries.

A minimum of 40% of the gross ticket proceeds must be used by the nonprofit organization. Expenses, including the purchasing of prizes, must not exceed 60% of the total gross proceeds.

If the organizing party offers all its prizes in cash, the total value of the cash prize must not exceed $30,000.

Moreover, if the prizes include alcoholic beverages, tickets cannot be sold to or bought by people under the age of 18. In all other cases, selling tickets to minors is permitted by the NSW law.

Printed Ticket Guidelines

In order to be able to advertise the raffle, a company must print numbered raffle tickets. Each ticket must have a stub that remains with the organizer and a part that remains with the ticket purchaser.

The stub must contain the number of the ticket and a large-enough area for the purchaser to be able to write his or her name and address.

The part that is retained by the ticket purchaser must contain the following details:

• Ticket price
• Name of the organization that will benefit from the proceeds of the raffle
• Details regarding the prizes and their retail value
• Details about how the winners will be notified
• The date, time, and place of the raffle draw

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The rules for running a raffle in Alberta, Canada

Each Canadian province is allowed to have its own raffle laws and regulations thanks to the federal government. In the state of Alberta, every legal aspect of holding a raffle is enforced by the AGLC (Alberta Gaming & Liquor Commission). There are certain similarities between Canada’s regions, but in order to run a law-abiding raffle event, you need to contact the corresponding office. In some cases, the province further allows municipalities to create their own, local laws.

In the province of Alberta, raffles are only permitted if they have a charitable cause. You cannot run a legal raffle for personal or financial gains. For this reason, the raffle licenses issued by the AGLC are only given non-profit groups or organizations. In order to be able to start advertising your raffle and print numbered raffle tickets for it, you will have to apply for a license.

However, there’s a prerequisite for the license: eligibility. In order to prove your eligibility for a raffle, you must first submit a form to your local province office. To be deemed eligible to run a raffle, you must provide documentation regarding your non-profit organization and the purpose of the raffle ticket proceeds.

Once you are eligible for a license, the AGLC raffle licence page contains all the details required to complete and submit a form. Currently, there are two types of eligibility forms and licenses that can be issued, based on the value of the ticket proceeds:

Ticket Proceeds of $10,000 or Less

• The eligibility application usually takes around 7 days to be processed and approved
• If you provide incomplete information, the process of approval may be delayed depending on the missing information
• Once your eligibility form has been approved, you will receive an AGLC identification number
• The AGLC identification number grants you the possibility to apply for a raffle license from your local Registry office
• The license expires when the raffle ends, unlike the AGLC identification number, which can be used again in the future

Ticket Proceeds of More Than $10,000

• The latest financial records must be submitted in order to be able to apply for a license
• The organization’s charitable mission must be provided through a written statement
• In some cases, a lawyer’s trust will be required for the raised funds
• In some cases, an outside evaluation of the prize will be required
• Similar, the eligibility and licensing processes can be delayed if the provided documents are incomplete

Regulations about what to print on each numbered ticket

The AGLC strictly prohibits the sale of raffle tickets to minors (under the age of 18). Each ticket must have two parts: a stub kept by the organizing party and a body that remains with the buyer. When the time comes to print numbered raffle tickets, the following guidelines must be followed:

The ticket stub must contain:

• The buyer’s contact details (full name, address, and telephone number)
• A distinct ticket number
• The license number issued by the AGLC

The ticket body must contain details about the:

• Contact details of the organizing party (company name and address)
• License number issued by the AGLC
• Ticket price
• Ticket number and total amount of numbered raffle tickets
• Correct date and location of the draw
• Details about the prize and its value

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