Charity Raffle Rules UK: Legal Guide for Fundraisers (2026)
UK charity raffle rules explained. Covers incidental lotteries, private lotteries, small society lotteries, and what you need to know to run a legal raffle.
Raffles are one of the easiest fundraising tools — but they're technically a form of lottery, which means there are legal rules. The good news: for most charity raffles, compliance is simple.
Types of Lawful Raffle (Lottery)
UK gambling law (Gambling Act 2005) defines different types of lottery, each with different rules:
1. Incidental Non-Commercial Lottery (Simplest)
A raffle held as part of another event (fete, dinner, quiz night). This is the most common type for charities.
Rules:
- Must be incidental to another event (not the main reason for attending)
- Tickets sold only at the event, only to people present
- Results announced at the event
- No rollover of prizes
- No cash prizes (prizes must be goods or vouchers)
- No deduction for expenses from ticket sales — all proceeds to charity
- No licence needed
2. Private Society Lottery
A raffle within a private group (members of a club, employees of a company). Tickets only sold to members.
- No licence needed
- All proceeds to the society or prizes (no private gain)
- Not advertised to the public
3. Small Society Lottery (Most Flexible for Charities)
For charities and societies registered with their local authority. This is what you need if you want to sell raffle tickets in advance of an event or outside of an event.
Requirements:
- Register with your local authority (council) — annual fee ~£40
- Maximum ticket sales: £20,000 per draw
- Maximum single prize value: £25,000
- Minimum 20% of proceeds must go to the charitable purpose (after prizes and expenses)
- Tickets must show: organiser name, price, who to contact
- Must send returns to the local authority after each draw
What You Can and Can't Do
| Activity | Legal? | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Raffle at your charity dinner | Yes | Incidental lottery |
| Sell raffle tickets in advance online | Yes (with registration) | Small society lottery |
| Offer cash prizes at event raffle | No | Not allowed for incidental |
| Online raffle with prizes | Yes (with registration) | Small society lottery |
| Raffle tickets over £20,000 total | Need Gambling Commission licence | Large society lottery |
How to Run a Charity Raffle (Step by Step)
- Decide the type — event-only (incidental) or advance sales (small society)
- Source prizes — ask local businesses for donations. Most are happy to contribute for publicity.
- Price tickets — £1-5 each or strips of 5/10. Consider "£1 per strip" for volume.
- Print tickets — numbered duplicates (one for the buyer, one for the draw)
- Sell tickets — at the event (incidental) or in advance (small society with registration)
- Draw winners — publicly, at the event. Have someone independent pick tickets.
- Distribute prizes — contact winners if not present
Tips for Maximising Raffle Revenue
- Display prizes prominently — people buy more tickets when they can see what they might win
- Multiple price points — "£1 per ticket, £5 for a strip of 6" creates a deal feeling
- Premium prizes — one £200+ prize draws more sales than ten £20 prizes
- Combine with pledges — at your event, run the raffle alongside a PledgeNow pledge drive to maximise total giving
Raise More Than Just Raffle Revenue
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