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How to run an online raffle for your charity in 2026 (UK guide)
July 1, 2026
Raffles are a tried-and-tested fundraising activity for UK charities, schools, sports clubs and community groups. They attract new donors, raise awareness for your cause, and can generate meaningful income in a short time.
Online raffles are increasingly popular, and UK law does allow raffle tickets to be sold and drawn online under the right conditions. Before you start, it is worth understanding exactly which rules apply to your raffle, because in the UK, a charity raffle is legally a lottery governed by the Gambling Act 2005 and regulated by the Gambling Commission.
An online raffle works in the same way as a traditional raffle, but instead of physical tickets sold in person, participants purchase entries through an online fundraising or raffle platform for a chance to win a prize.
The ability to accept card payments and reach more donors.
How to run an online raffle in 11 easy steps
The hardest part of any raffle is knowing where to begin. Like most things, it starts well before ticket sales open.
Step 1: Understand which UK raffle category you fall into
In the UK, all paid raffles are legally lotteries under the Gambling Act 2005, regulated by the Gambling Commission. Before planning anything else, identify which of the three categories applies to your raffle.
Incidental non-commercial lottery
This covers a tombola or prize draw held entirely at a single event, such as a village fete, fundraising dinner or school fair. No registration is needed. However, tickets must be physical, sold only at the event itself, and cannot be sold online or in advance. There is also a £100 cap on expenses and a £500 cap on bought prizes (donated prizes are uncapped).
Small society lottery
This is the main route for charities, PTAs, village halls, sports clubs and community groups that want to sell tickets in advance or online. You register with your local licensing authority (council), not the Gambling Commission directly. Key rules:
Required only when ticket sales exceed £20,000 in a single draw or £250,000 across the year. This requires an operating licence from the Gambling Commission directly. Most small charities and community groups will not need this route.
A note on Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland has historically operated under different lottery legislation. If your organisation is based in Northern Ireland, check with your local council before proceeding.
Step 2: Check your organisation qualifies to run a society lottery
To run a small society lottery, your organisation must be a non-commercial society established for charitable purposes, for the support of athletic sports or games, for cultural activities, or for another non-commercial purpose other than private gain.
You do not need to be a registered charity. A village hall committee, PTA, unincorporated community group, sports club or church congregation all qualify, provided they are genuinely non-commercial. This is important for many smaller organisations that feel priced out of charity-only fundraising infrastructure.
If you also want to be a registered charity, the relevant regulator depends on where you are based:
Registered charity status matters separately for Gift Aid on other types of fundraising, but note that Gift Aid does not apply to raffle ticket purchases. Because ticket buyers receive a chance to win (which counts as goods or services), their ticket purchase is not a charitable donation and cannot attract Gift Aid. If you want to collect Gift Aid alongside your raffle, run a separate donation ask with a Gift Aid declaration.
Step 3: Choose the type of raffle fundraiser you want to host
The right raffle format depends on your audience and your fundraising goal. If supporters already know and trust your cause, maximising ticket sales with a straightforward prize draw may be best. If you want to attract new supporters motivated primarily by the prizes, a 50/50 raffle can work well, with half the ticket-sales pot going to a winner and half to the cause.
Some factors to consider:
How will you primarily sell tickets: online, in person at events, or both?
Will you offer multiple prizes or a single headline prize?
Are ticket bundles (e.g. three tickets for £5) an option to increase income?
Which raffle platform will make it straightforward to manage entries and communicate with ticket buyers?
Step 4: Register with your local licensing authority
To run a small society lottery, apply to your local council's licensing team (the licensing authority under the Gambling Act). Search for 'small society lottery registration' on your council's website, or find your local council on GOV.UK.
The registration fee is £40 for the initial application and £20 for each annual renewal. The promoter of the lottery must be a member of the promoting society. Read the council's guidance in full before completing the form, as requirements can vary slightly between English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish councils.
Once registered, the council will issue your registration number. This number must appear on every ticket you sell.
Apply well in advance, ideally at least four to six weeks before your first ticket sale.
Step 5: Wait for confirmation before selling any tickets
Councils vary in how quickly they process small society lottery registrations, but many turn around applications within a few weeks. Allow more time around busy periods.
Do not sell a single ticket before your registration is confirmed in writing and you have your council registration number. Selling tickets in an unregistered lottery is an offence under the Gambling Act 2005.
Once confirmed, keep your registration documentation safe. Note also the annual caps: £20,000 per single draw, £250,000 across all your lotteries in a year, a maximum single prize of £25,000, and a minimum of 20% of proceeds going to the good cause.
Step 6: Approach local businesses for prizes and sponsors
A successful raffle needs prizes that excite your audience. Approach current donors and local businesses early, framing it as a collaboration: you provide visibility for them; they provide a prize or sponsorship.
Prizes do not have to be merchandise. Services, experiences, gift vouchers, and themed hampers or gift baskets all work well. The more creative and community-rooted the prizes, the more people will want to participate.
When sourcing prizes for a Christmas raffle, summer fair or NODA awards night, lean on your whole community: local restaurants, independent shops, beauty salons, pubs and sports clubs are all natural partners.
An important UK legal note: you can only sell raffle tickets online if your society is registered as a small society lottery with your local licensing authority (or holds a Gambling Commission operating licence). An incidental event raffle cannot be sold online. Additionally, remote (online) lotteries must meet the Gambling Commission's display requirements, including a statement that the society is registered as a small society lottery with the named local authority.
Your online raffle pages should also align with the Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice (current version effective 1 November 2025, with a new Section 9 covering online platforms): clearly identify the promoting charity or community group, present prizes honestly, and avoid high-pressure messaging.
Step 8: Make sure your raffle tickets include the required information
Under the Gambling Act 2005, small society lottery tickets must include the following (Gambling Commission guidance):
The name of the promoting society.
The ticket price (which must be the same for every ticket in the lottery).
The name and postal address of the member of the society responsible for the promotion (or the external lottery manager, if one is used).
The date of the draw (or information that enables the date to be determined).
The name of the local authority with which the society is registered and the registration number issued by that authority.
For printed tickets: a unique serial number.
In addition, it is good practice to include:
A description of the main prize or prizes.
Where and how winners will be notified.
Any sponsor logos.
A note that tickets are only valid for people aged 16 and over.
Step 9: Start selling and distributing raffle entries
Combining online and in-person sales is a great way to maximise reach. For a small society lottery, you can sell tickets online, door to door, by telephone, or face to face. Note that tickets cannot be sold in the street (including shopping-centre passages).
Every ticket must be sold at the same price, and payment must be received before the entry is valid for the draw.
Many UK community fundraisers have noticed that fewer supporters carry cash to events nowadays. Offering a tap-to-pay option for door sales at your summer fete or Christmas fair, alongside an online Zeffy form for pre-event sales and pre-numbered printed books for door-to-door volunteers, gives you the best chance of reaching every potential supporter.
Remember: raffle ticket purchases are not Gift Aid eligible (HMRC guidance). If you want to generate Gift Aid income alongside your raffle, set up a separate donation ask with a Gift Aid declaration at the same event or on the same page.
Zeffy's free raffle and lottery forms allow you to customise your ticketing and sell more raffle entries. You can connect your Zeffy account to other tools you use and manage both online and offline ticket-buyer data in one place.
Step 10: Promote your online raffle
Once everything is in place, you need to find people to participate.
Reach out to current and past donors.
Target community groups and networks connected to your cause.
Contact local businesses to help promote your raffle.
Share the raffle on social media: Facebook, WhatsApp community groups, local Nextdoor pages, and your charity's own website and newsletter.
Real stories make a difference. If you have run raffles or prize draws before, share what past winners did with their prizes and how the funds raised contributed to your charity's work.
Step 11: File your return with the council and keep your records
You must submit a return to your local licensing authority within three months of the draw (Gambling Commission guidance). The return should show:
The dates of the lottery.
Total ticket proceeds received.
Total prizes paid out.
Total expenses deducted.
The amount applied to the purposes of the society (which must be at least 20% of proceeds).
Keep all lottery records available for inspection. If your organisation is also a registered charity, your charity's regular reporting obligations to CCEW, OSCR or CCNI (annual return and Trustees' Annual Report) apply separately to your overall accounts.
The best online raffle platforms for UK charities
Choosing the right platform matters. Things to consider:
Transparent pricing (look carefully for hidden fees or donor tip prompts).
The features on offer.
Whether it covers all your fundraising needs or only raffles.
How straightforward it is to stay compliant with UK lottery rules.
Zeffy: the only 100% free online raffle solution for UK charities
Zeffy is 100% free for charities and community groups. There are no platform fees, no transaction fees, and no credit card processing fees. Ever.
The free raffle platform is built to help your charity plan and run online raffles without worrying about platform costs eating into the money you raise.
Zeffy's raffle features make running your online raffle straightforward:
Create a simple form to add to your raffle website.
Automatically generate and send online raffle tickets.
Accept all payment types without paying any fees.
Customise your charity's forms and raffle tickets.
Stay in contact with ticket buyers before, during and after your event.
Export reports for your council return.
Zeffy is not just a raffle solution. It is a completely free fundraising platform that also offers:
Most small UK charities currently pay for a ticketing tool, a donations platform and a CRM separately to run a raffle alongside their other fundraising. Zeffy consolidates that entire stack, free, with Gift Aid handling on your accompanying donations and proper small-society-lottery ticketing in one place.
GalaBid and Givergy: other UK raffle and prize-draw platforms worth knowing
If your raffle is primarily part of a gala dinner, golf day or awards night, two UK-built platforms are worth considering.
Givergy operates a 'Keep it FREE' model for UK charities: the platform is free for the organising charity, and donors can voluntarily cover any processing costs. Givergy has a strong track record at UK charity galas and is well suited to live prize-draw events. Visit givergy.com for current pricing details.
GalaBid offers mobile bidding for silent auctions, prize draws, ticketing and donations from a single platform. It has over ten years of experience working with UK schools, sports clubs and hospital charities. Visit galabid.com for current pricing details.
Honest take: both are strong choices for high-value gala-night prize draws. For the typical UK charity running a Christmas raffle, summer-fair tombola or year-round online prize draw, Zeffy's integrated, entirely free stack remains the more practical choice.
UK charities of all sizes use Zeffy to run their online raffles, from PTAs running a school Christmas prize draw to village halls raising funds for community projects. The platform handles ticketing, entry management and reporting, so organisers can focus on promoting the raffle rather than managing spreadsheets.
The simplest way to run an online raffle for free is to use a platform like Zeffy. Zeffy is 100% free for UK charities and community groups, covering platform fees, transaction fees and credit card processing fees. You create a customised entry form, and Zeffy generates and sends tickets automatically. Visit Zeffy's free online raffle platform to get started.
No. To run a small society lottery, you must be a non-commercial society, but you do not need to be a registered charity. A village hall committee, PTA, sports club, unincorporated community group or church congregation all qualify, provided the organisation is non-commercial. Registered charity status with the Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI is a separate matter, relevant to Gift Aid on donations but not required for the raffle registration itself.
Under the Gambling Act 2005, both are lotteries. The key distinction is entry: a paid raffle requires ticket purchase and is regulated as a small society lottery (registration required for advance or online sales). A free prize draw, where entry is genuinely free and no purchase is necessary, is not regulated as a lottery. Most charity raffles involve a ticket price and therefore fall under the small society lottery rules.
Yes, provided your society is registered as a small society lottery with your local licensing authority and your tickets meet the Gambling Act 2005 content requirements (name of society, ticket price, name and address of promoter, draw date and registration number). An incidental non-commercial lottery held entirely at an event cannot be sold online. See the Gambling Commission's guidance for the full requirements.
No. Gift Aid cannot be claimed on raffle ticket purchases because the buyer receives something of value in return (a chance to win a prize), which counts as goods or services under HMRC's Gift Aid rules. If you want to generate Gift Aid income alongside your raffle, run a separate donation ask at the same event or on the same page, and collect a Gift Aid declaration on those donations only.
For a small society lottery, at least 20% of total ticket proceeds must go to the good cause. This is a legal requirement under the Gambling Act 2005. The Gambling Commission publishes the full guidance, including the requirement to report this figure in your post-draw return to the council.
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Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
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