Running Lotteries and Raffles

Raffles (or other small scale lotteries) can be run by a charity for itself or by any other person or organisation for the benefit of a charity. Such schemes are a form of gambling, and, as such, they are regulated by gambling legislation. They must adhere carefully to the requirements of that legislation in order to be lawful.

There are guidance notes about how a charity or any other organisation can lawfully raise funds for a charity by means of a raffle. See the Guidance Note on Law and Practice of Running Lotteries (giving the legal background to lotteries), the Description of Lawful Raffles (giving examples of various types of lawful raffles), and the Checklist for Lawful Raffles (explaining those features of a raffle that will render it either lawful or otherwise). These notes should easily enable you to check whether any planned raffle will be legally permissible, and if it is not permissible, whether you can alter your plans in a way that will render the raffle lawful. 

Amendments made to the Gambling Act 2005 (with effect from 2016) gave greater scope for fundraising (including running a raffle) by any group or organisation for the benefit of a charity or good cause. Consequently, the types of raffle which are usually held for the benefit of a charity (either by the charity itself or by another organisation) will generally be lawful but if you have any doubt in any particular case, you should seek legal advice.