Lotteries and raffles

A ‘lottery’ is a broad term and includes many types of event, such as raffles, tombolas and sweepstakes. Normally a lottery is a game where you pay to enter, there is at least one prize, and winning is dependent only on chance.

Carrying out a lottery allows charities to raise money from the public in a way that appeals to a wide audience. The added incentive of a prize enables charities to engage with those who may otherwise not donate and gain new supporters.

The set up and administration of lotteries is regulated by the Gambling Commission.

As with other forms of fundraising, operators of charitable lotteries are also required under the Code of Fundraising Practice to respect donors. This includes following the relevant code rules to ensure donors are adequately informed, not exerting undue pressure and safeguarding people in vulnerable circumstances.

If you are fundraising If you are donating

If you are fundraising

If you are organising a charitable lottery

There are many considerations when organising a lottery. These include whether the lottery will need to be licensed, what kind of lottery it is, and how supporters can enter. There are complicated legal regulations regarding lotteries and you will need to ensure that your lottery complies with these.

There are many types of lottery that you may wish to run and each has different regulatory requirements set out by the Gambling Commission. You can see the different types of lottery and associated regulations in guidance from the Gambling Commission. Regulations include who can enter, how many people can enter, limits on reclaiming costs, and ticket restrictions.

If you want to run a lottery you should be familiar with the standards of behaviour expected in section 1 of the code. This includes making sure donors know how their money will be spent, and not taking advantage of vulnerable donors. You should also be clear on processing donations requirements set out in section 3.

If your lottery is being run as part of an event, make sure that it is run in line with the rules in section 10 of the code. If you will be working with volunteers please see section 4 of the code.

Some types of lotteries require a licence. To run a small society lottery, for example, you will need to register with your local authority. A large society lottery requires a lottery operating licence.

Prize competitions and free draws are also used by fundraisers. These do not count as lotteries, but if you want to run one be sure to read the Gambling Commission’s guidance to make sure you are not unintentionally running an illegal lottery.

If you fundraising amounts to a prize competition or free draw see section 11 of the code.

If you are donating

If you are entering a charitable lottery

Charity lotteries provide a way to donate with the added incentive of winning a prize.

However, you should be given clear information about where your money is going, including how much of your donation goes to the charitable cause.

Some lotteries ask you to donate by a particular date to enter the competition. Consider any request carefully and never feel under pressure into making a donation immediately or at all.

View any updates made to this page, with the most recent listed first.

4 November 2025: this guidance has been updated to align with the 2025 Code of Fundraising Practice.

I want to go straight to the code and read what it says about a lottery or raffle

Read the Code

I want to go straight to the code and read what it says about a lottery or raffle

I have a concern about a particular lottery or raffle

Make a complaint