Mountain Rescue England and Wales

A raffle is a great way to raise money for mountain rescue and raise awareness of our services. However, there are rules governing raffles, which are determined by the Lotteries and Amusement Act 1976 which you need to be aware of.

Running a raffle at your workplace or club

This is classed as a private lottery and therefore no licence needs to be obtained and there is no limit on the size of the lottery. We would encourage you to do this type of lottery as it is much easier to run and less complicated legally. However, some conditions do have to be met. They are as follows:

• It must be promoted by someone from within the workplace or club.
• May only be advertised on the premises.
• Tickets must state the price, the name and address of the promoter and who is eligible to participate. 

Running a raffle on the day of your event

A raffle run on the day of an event is classed as a small lottery and therefore does not need a licence. However, some conditions must be met.

• It must not be the main focus, but part of a larger event.
• There must be no cash prizes.
• The ticket sales and the announcement of the winners must take place on the evening of the event.
• The total sum of brought prizes on offer should not exceed £250, however, donated prizes in excess of £250 are acceptable.
• You can offer alcohol as a prize if your event is taking place on licensed premises. 

We recommend that you buy a book of cloakroom tickets, which can either be sold individually or as a strip of five.

Running a public raffle

If you hold a larger raffle that is open to members of the public or promoting and selling tickets in advance of a draw date it is classed as a public lottery. It must be registered with the local authority. A named promoter should be nominated to take responsibility for the raffle. If ticket sales exceed £20,000 you must register with the Gaming Board. There are conditions that have to be met:–

Each ticket and advertisement for your raffle must state the following:

• the price of a ticket – this should not exceed £2
• the name of the charity, along with the charity registration number
• that the lottery is registered with a local authority along with the name and address of the local authority
• the name and address of the promoter
• the date of the draw.

Tickets cannot be sold:

• to, or by anyone under 16 years of age
• in the street or house to house
• in any Licensed Betting Office or any premises used wholly or mainly for providing amusements with prizes and/or slot machines or in any bingo or gaming club.

A ticket can only be sold when the money for the ticket is paid upfront and in full. There can be no refunds under any circumstances. 

As long as you follow these simple rules regarding public raffles you will find the challenge of getting prizes donated and running the event stimulating and rewarding.

Some best practice rules

Every ticket has to be the same price. You cannot, for instance, offer five tickets for the price of four.

When you order tickets from a supplier please ensure that you request an invoice showing the quantity and serial numbers of the tickets supplied. 

If you have any questions or advice about a raffle please contact us.