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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Running a Fundraising Raffle in Northern Ireland: Everything You Need to Know

Hosting a legal raffle in Northern Ireland can be a tricky process. Raffles fall under the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements legislation, which dates back to 1985. Over the years, the law has suffered several amends, and is set to receive a new set of changes in 2017.

According to current legislation, a raffle is a type of lottery that involves the purchase of fixed-price tickets, without the need of a certain set of skills. At the end of the lottery, each participant is eligible to win the whole prize or a part of the prize pool, only relying on chance.

More information regarding raffle laws and regulations can be found on the official website of the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action.

Currently, there are 3 types of raffles that are legal: small, private, and societies’ raffles. There are different rules and regulations for each of these categories:

Small Raffles

Based on the Northern Ireland legislation, small raffles are defined by a distinct set of rules. The most important aspect is that 100% of the proceedings that come from ticket sales cannot be devoted to private gains. Secondly, the raffle must take place during a larger event. Thirdly, for a raffle to fall under the “small raffle” category, the entirety of the ticket sales must be done during the previously mentioned event.
These events include, but are not limited to: dinners, dances, bazaars, jumble sales, fetes, athletic events, and so on.
The organizing party must follow these rules:
• Keep records of all participants
• Clearly state the purpose of the raffle and the destination of the ticket proceeds
• Inform all potential participants of the purpose of the raffle
• Announce the local police department at least 7 days before the event will take place

Private Raffles

A private raffle is somewhat different to a small raffle. If a small raffle must be a part of a larger event, a private raffle can be held on its own, as long as it is promoted in Northern Ireland, and the organizers are part of a commercial or residential society.

There is a ticket sales threshold in place for all private raffles, meaning that the value of the sold tickets cannot be higher than £1.000.

Finally, all the proceeds of the raffle, except printing and other expenses, must go towards the society itself, to prizes for a part of the participants, or both.

These raffles can be used by various societies that operate on the territory of Northern Ireland and can be a very useful source of funding.

Societies’ Raffles

Unlike the private lottery, where members of a society could run a raffle for the gain of the said society, these raffles can only be conducted for charitable purposes. In order to be able to hold a society's raffle, registration is required. The application forms are available at the district council offices. A registry fee (£35) must be paid when applying. Moreover, a copy of the application must also be sent to the local police department (as well as another £17.50 fee).

After registration, a society is free to hold an unlimited number of raffles every year, as long as the total value of the sold tickets doesn’t surpass the threshold of £1 million per year, or £80.000 per raffle.

Ticket sales must follow these rules:
• Can’t be sold to people under the age of 16
• Must be priced at £1 or less and cannot be offered for free for any reason
• Can’t be sold in bookmaker offices
• Must be sold in person, not by a machine
The prize pool cannot include a single prize that is valued at £25.000 or higher, or 10% of the proceeds acquired from ticket sales - whichever is the greater. Moreover, the society may only use up to 50% of the proceeds to provide the said prizes.

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Legal Raffles in Ontario, Canada: How To Organize Them

Raffles are a very popular method of fundraising used by charities and nonprofit organizations throughout Canada. The Canadian Federal Government allows each Canadian province to have its own laws and regulations. As such, Ontario has its own regulatory office and laws.

Before you consider organizing a raffle, we should mention that raffles held on the territory of Ontario are classified based on the cash value of the prizes. Based on this value, an organization needs to apply for either a municipal or provincial license.

If the total cash value of the prizes offered in a raffle does not exceed $50,000, the organization must only apply for a municipal license. However, if the value exceeds the previously mentioned threshold, the charity or organization running the raffle must apply for a provincial license. Each license is only valid for a single raffle event. There is a possibility to apply for a license that allows for multiple raffle events over a certain period of time, but the raffles held under this license are limited to a prize value of $5,000 or less.

In Ontario, charities and nonprofit organizations are only eligible to apply for a raffle license if they have a proof of existence of at least 1 year. Moreover, it is necessary for the business to have a physical location in Ontario and to prove its charitable services. Each organization that wants to hold a raffle must also show proof that the profits gained from the raffle will be used in a charitable way.

Organizations looking to obtain their first raffle license must apply for it at least 45 days before the event is scheduled. For organizations who have obtained at least one raffle license in the past, the period is reduced to 30 days for all future licenses. Details about the application process, the forms, and the fees, can be found on the official website of the Alcohol and Gambling Commission of Ontario.

Documents Required for Licensing

These documents may change over time. Use this list as a guideline, but make sure to check the official website for any potential changes.
• Incorporation papers
• Operating Budget documents
• Board of directors
• Financial Statement for the previous fiscal year
• Detailed documents regarding company activities
• Written proposition for the use of the ticket proceeds

Raffle Ticket Guidelines

In order to maintain the legality of the raffle, the tickets must also be designed having a certain standard in mind. While the graphical design is up to the organizing party, the content is strictly regulated. Each ticket must have a body (for the participant) and a stub (for the organizer) and contain the following:
• Ticket body:
• License number and name of the licensed company
• Complete data regarding the date, location, and time of the draw
• Description of the prize, including the value
• The full price of the ticket
• The number of the ticket next to the total number of printed tickets
• Ticket stub:
• The number of the ticket
• The license number and the name of the licensed company
• Enough space for the whole name, address, and telephone number of the person who purchased the ticket.

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