Verdict: Are raffles legal in Utah? No. Paid-entry raffles are barred outright, so the two questions that follow it, selling tickets online and selling them in person by card, do not arise here: there is no lawful raffle ticket to sell through any channel. There is no charitable exemption, and Utah SB 183 (2021) never became law.
What works: Silent and online auctions (the closest lawful stand-in for a raffle), ticketed events, peer-to-peer campaigns, donation forms, and true no-purchase-necessary sweepstakes with written official rules.
What doesn't: Paid-entry raffles of any kind, "consult your attorney" workarounds that still require payment for entry, and out-of-state raffle platforms selling to Utah residents.
Best for: Utah 501(c)(3)s looking for the fastest lawful substitute for a raffle-shaped fundraiser.
Worth considering if: You need a prize-driven promotion. Run a true no-purchase-necessary sweepstakes with written official rules and talk to a Utah attorney before launch.
Table of contents
Are raffles legal in Utah?
No. Paid-entry raffles are not legal for Utah nonprofits. Utah treats a raffle where participants pay something of value for a chance at a prize as a lottery, and the state does not offer a charitable or nonprofit carve-out.
Under Utah's criminal code, a lottery is any scheme that distributes a prize by chance among people who paid to enter. A raffle fits that definition on its face. The definitions previously appeared at Utah Code 76-10-1101; effective May 7, 2025, Part 11 of Title 76, Chapter 10 was renumbered, and the lottery and raffle definitions now live at Utah Code 76-9-1401. Raffle is named explicitly inside the lottery definition.
The short version: a paid-entry raffle in Utah is a lottery, and only the government can run a lottery.
For a Utah nonprofit: there is no version of a paid-entry raffle that becomes legal because it's for a good cause. The next step is not "check with your attorney about whether we can run one." It's choosing a lawful format that carries the same donor motivation.
Why Utah prohibits raffles
Utah's prohibition is constitutional, not just statutory. Article VI, Section 27 of the Utah Constitution bars the legislature from authorizing "any game of chance, lottery or gift enterprise under any pretense or for any purpose." There is no charitable or nonprofit exception in that text, which is why the legislature cannot simply pass a law carving out nonprofit raffles the way most other states have.
Utah sits in a small cluster of states with the strictest posture on charitable raffles. Alabama and Utah both prohibit paid-entry lotteries at the constitutional level with no charitable carve-out. Hawaii also prohibits paid-entry raffles, though Hawaii's ban is statutory rather than constitutional. In practice, all three states end at the same answer for a nonprofit reader: no paid-entry raffle.
A raffle is legal in most states only because the state created an exemption. Without that exemption, it is an illegal lottery. Utah did not create one, and the constitution stops the legislature from creating one without amending the constitution first.
For a Utah nonprofit: this is not a gap that "the right paperwork" or "a licensed vendor" can close. The prohibition is built into the state constitution.
The SB 183 (2021) myth
A lot of guides on the internet, including older versions of this one, say that in 2021 Utah passed an amendment that made nonprofit raffles legal as long as no one had to pay to enter. That is wrong.
Senate Bill 183 of the 2021 Utah General Session never became law. Its last action was on March 5, 2021, and it was placed in the Senate file for bills that did not pass. It has no force of law and never did.
If you are looking at a page that cites a 2021 Utah raffle amendment as authority for running a no-payment raffle, that page is citing a bill that failed. The controlling law is still the constitutional prohibition and the lottery definitions in the criminal code.
For a Utah nonprofit: if a vendor, template, or advisor is basing a Utah raffle plan on SB 183, walk away. The bill did not pass.
Penalties for running an unlawful raffle in Utah
Running a paid-entry raffle in Utah exposes the organizers and the organization to criminal liability, not just a civil fine. Under the renumbered code, participation in a lottery is a class B misdemeanor under Utah Code 76-9-1402. Because a raffle is included inside the lottery definition, selling tickets, promoting the drawing, or accepting entries all fall inside the same prohibition.
The statute classifies the offense but does not attach a special penalty schedule specific to charitable organizers or set a dollar figure unique to nonprofit conduct. General misdemeanor penalties under Utah law apply. The statute also does not name a single specific enforcement agency for charitable raffle conduct.
Because this is a criminal classification and the code was recently renumbered, verify the current section text on le.utah.gov before relying on it, and consult a Utah attorney about your specific situation.
For a Utah nonprofit: the risk is not "we might get a warning letter." It is a misdemeanor exposure for the people who ran the event and reputational risk for the organization. That is a bigger downside than any raffle upside.
Lawful fundraising alternatives for Utah nonprofits
For a Utah nonprofit, the move is to pick the format that carries the same donor motivation as the raffle you wanted to run. There are four that Utah permits and that most raffle-curious nonprofits are actually reaching for.
General revenue: online donation forms
If the raffle was mostly a way to bring in general operating dollars, a customized donation page with a suggested-gift ladder and a recurring option is the closest lawful substitute. It converts warm supporters without a prize mechanic. Zeffy offers free donation forms that Utah nonprofits can launch in an afternoon.
Event momentum: ticketed dinners, galas, and tournaments
If the raffle was tied to an event, the event itself is the fundraiser. A ticketed dinner, golf tournament, or gala is fully lawful in Utah and gives donors the same in-person experience the raffle was riding on. Event ticketing handles the sales side without adding fees.
Prize desire: silent and online auctions
The most direct substitute for a raffle is an auction. Donors still bid on desirable prizes; the difference is that the highest bidder wins on price rather than on chance, which keeps the format out of the lottery definition. Online auctions also let out-of-town supporters bid.
Network mobilization: peer-to-peer campaigns
If your plan was to hand raffle books to volunteers so they could sell tickets across their networks, the lawful version is a peer-to-peer campaign. Each volunteer gets a personal fundraising page, shares it with their circle, and drives donations back to the organization. Peer-to-peer campaigns replicate the volunteer-network mechanic without a chance-based entry.
Prize promotion done right: no-purchase-necessary sweepstakes
A true no-purchase-necessary sweepstakes is a legally distinct category from a raffle. The key differences are that no consideration (payment or other value) can be required to enter, and the promotion must run under written official rules. This is a real category, but it is also a place where the details matter enormously. Talk to a Utah attorney before launch. Do not treat "you can enter for free or buy a ticket" as an automatic fix, and do not adopt a template from another state without a Utah review.
For a Utah nonprofit: pick the lawful format that matches the motivation the raffle was carrying. All four of the substitutes above are permitted in Utah, and the Zeffy tools that run them are 100% free. For a look at how other states handle raffles, see raffle laws by state.
Can you use Zeffy to run online raffles in Utah?
Are raffles legal in Utah? No. Can you sell raffle tickets online, or in person by card? Neither question arises. Utah bars the paid drawing itself, not a channel or a payment method, so there is no lawful raffle ticket here for any of them to carry. The rest of this section is about the other ways your nonprofit can raise money on Zeffy.
You cannot use Zeffy to sell paid raffle tickets to Utah residents, because Utah prohibits paid-entry raffles for nonprofits. That answer does not change based on the platform.
What you can still run is the auction. Bidders compete on price instead of chance, which keeps the format outside Utah's lottery definition, and the prize table looks much the same to the room. Here is what Zeffy does for the Utah version, all at no cost:
- Run the auction instead of the drawing. Online and silent auctions put the same prize table in front of the same supporters, except the highest bidder wins on price rather than on chance, which is what keeps the format outside Utah's lottery definition. Remote supporters can bid too.
- Recording what you took in the room. Log the bids you settled and the admission you took at the door in the free donor CRM, so records and receipts stay in one place, and send supporter email from the same dashboard. Auction payments and admission are purchases, not chances, so none of this is the paid drawing Utah prohibits.
- Ticket the night around it. Event ticketing for the gala, dinner, or tournament the auction sits inside, with e-tickets and door check-in.
- Online donation forms with one-time and recurring gifts
- Peer-to-peer campaigns for volunteer-led fundraising
If your organization is set on a prize-driven promotion, the format Utah permits is a no-purchase-necessary sweepstakes, and Zeffy's donation and ticketing tools can support the fundraising side of that campaign. The sweepstakes structure itself needs a Utah attorney's review before launch.
Is it illegal to make money from raffles in Utah?
Yes. Selling raffle tickets in Utah is treated as participating in a lottery, which is prohibited by the Utah Constitution and classified as a misdemeanor under the criminal code. In states where raffles are legal, they can be a strong revenue channel, but Utah is not one of those states.
Why is a raffle considered a lottery under Utah law?
Utah's lottery definition covers any scheme that distributes a prize by chance among people who paid to enter. A paid-entry raffle has all three elements: a prize, chance, and consideration. That is why the raffle sits inside the lottery definition and inside the constitutional prohibition.
Did Utah legalize nonprofit raffles in 2021?
No. Senate Bill 183 of the 2021 Utah General Session never became law. Its last action was on March 5, 2021, and it was placed in the Senate file for bills that did not pass. Any guide that cites a 2021 amendment as authority for running a Utah nonprofit raffle is citing a bill that failed.
What can a Utah nonprofit do instead of a raffle?
The lawful substitutes most Utah nonprofits reach for are online donation forms, ticketed events (dinners, galas, tournaments), silent or online auctions, and peer-to-peer campaigns. Each one substitutes for a different donor motivation the raffle was carrying: general revenue, event momentum, prize desire, or network mobilization.
Are no-purchase-necessary sweepstakes legal in Utah?
Sweepstakes are a legally distinct category from raffles. To stay outside the lottery definition, a sweepstakes generally cannot require any consideration (payment or other value) to enter and must run under written official rules. The details matter, and the specifics depend on how the promotion is structured, so consult a Utah attorney before launch rather than relying on a template from another state.
Where can I read Utah's current lottery statute?
Part 11 of Title 76, Chapter 10 was renumbered effective May 7, 2025. The current lottery and raffle definitions are at Utah Code 76-9-1401 (le.utah.gov), and the misdemeanor classification is at 76-9-1402. The constitutional prohibition sits at Article VI, Section 27 of the Utah Constitution.
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