When tickets are on sale to the general public, the organisation running the draw must be registered with the local authority. The local authority’s name is no longer required to be shown on the ticket, but the promoter is still responsible for ensuring the raffle complies with the law under the 2005 Gambling Act.
Each ticket must specify
- The name of the organisation running the draw
- Date and place of draw
- The name and address of the promoter – must be a named individual with a full postal address (not necessarily a private address)
- Price of ticket. The price of each ticket must be the same. It is ILLEGAL to offer free tickets (e.g. Tickets: 25p each, 5 for £1)
- Registered Charities must state either their Charity Number or state “A Registered Charity”
Private Lotteries:
When ticket sales are restricted to members of one society, or persons who either live or work together on the same premises, it is not necessary to register with the local authority.
Find Your Local Council
If you require contact details of your local county councils, borough and district councils and unitary authorities throughout England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Please copy and paste the link below and it will direct you to the ‘Directgov – A to Z of Local Councils’ webpage. https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council
Gambling Commission
The Gambling Commission was set up under the Gambling Act 2005 to regulate commercial gambling in Great Britain. The Gambling Act 2005 came fully into force on 1 September 2007. It is an independent non-departmental public body (NDPB) sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), who have over 200 employees, mostly based in Birmingham. This includes over 60 compliance and enforcement managers working across Great Britain. Its work is funded by fees, paid by the operators that it licenses. If you require further information from the Gambling Commission, please click here to download a copy of its leaflet on lotteries.
Gambling Commission Number: 000-046806-N-325145-001