Raffle Rules by Country: Where You Need a Licence and Where You Don't

Whether you need a licence to run a raffle depends entirely on where your tickets are sold. The same fundraiser that needs no paperwork in Sydney requires a Garda permit in Dublin and a full licence in Toronto. This page summarises the rules across five markets, with the key thresholds and a link to the detailed guide for each. It is general information, not legal advice; every summary here links to a full guide with the regulator detail.

The pattern across all five countries

Some rules are near-universal. Raffles are legally lotteries, and lotteries are regulated as gambling. They can only be run for the benefit of not-for-profit, charitable or community causes; a business cannot sell raffle tickets for its own profit anywhere in these five markets. The organisation running the raffle is responsible for compliance, and records of sales, the draw and the use of proceeds must be kept. Where the countries differ is the threshold at which paperwork begins, and who issues it.

United Kingdom

One national framework under the Gambling Act 2005, regulated by the Gambling Commission. Most community raffles need either nothing (a raffle held entirely at an event) or a simple local authority registration as a small society lottery, covering up to £20,000 per draw and £250,000 per year. Only above those limits is a Gambling Commission licence required. Northern Ireland has separate rules. Full detail: UK raffle rules and licences.

Australia

No national law: eight states and territories, eight sets of rules. NSW needs no authority up to $30,000 in prizes, Victoria up to $22,340 (with the organisation declared by the VGCCC), and Queensland up to $50,000 in ticket sales, while WA requires a permit for most raffles and the ACT's threshold is just $2,500. Selling online across state lines means complying in every state where a ticket is sold. Full detail: Australian raffle rules by state.

New Zealand

The simplest regime of the five: one law (the Gambling Act 2003), one regulator (the DIA), three classes. No licence is needed when total prizes are $5,000 or less and ticket sales $25,000 or less; above either line, a society needs a Class 3 licence. Since November 2024, licensed raffles can be run fully online as a permanent arrangement. Full detail: NZ raffle rules and licences.

Ireland

In transition. The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 created a new regulator, the GRAI, but its charitable licence is not yet open, so the existing system applies: no permit for a raffle held at an event with non-cash prizes, a Garda Superintendent permit for prizes up to €5,000 per week, and a District Court licence up to €30,000 per week. When GRAI charitable licensing opens, applications move to the new regulator and at least 30% of payments must go to the stated cause. Full detail: Ireland raffle rules and permits.

Canada

The strictest of the five. Under the Criminal Code, raffles are only lawful when run by a charitable or religious organisation under a provincial licence, and there is generally no licence-free tier however small the raffle. Ontario splits licensing between municipalities (paper raffles up to $50,000 in prizes) and the AGCO (everything above, and all electronic raffles); Alberta licenses everything with a process split at $20,000 in ticket value; BC runs three licence classes through the IGCO. Electronic raffle platforms themselves must be approved or registered with the provincial regulator, and ticket sales are province-bound. Full detail: Canada raffle rules by province.

Quick reference: licence-free thresholds by country

Current as at August 2026. Thresholds change; each linked guide carries the regulator detail and was reviewed against primary sources.

Running your raffle once the paperwork is sorted

Whatever the jurisdiction, the operational job is the same: sell tickets with the required details, record every buyer, draw winners exactly as advertised with a defensibly random method, and account for the proceeds. Digital ticketing handles the record-keeping automatically and platforms such as GalaBid use certified random number generation for the draw, though in Canada confirm any platform's provincial approval status first. For campaign planning from setup to draw, see the step-by-step raffle guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to run a raffle?

Yes, in all five countries covered here, provided it benefits a charitable or community cause and follows the local rules. What varies is whether a permit or licence is needed, which depends on where tickets are sold and the value involved.

Which country has the simplest raffle rules?

New Zealand: one law, one regulator, and no licence needed below $5,000 in prizes and $25,000 in ticket sales. The UK is close behind. Canada is the strictest, with a licence required for nearly every raffle.

Can I sell raffle tickets internationally?

In practice, no. Raffle licences and permits are territorial, and several jurisdictions restrict sales to buyers within the licensing area; Canada restricts sales to the licensing province. Run your raffle within the jurisdiction that licensed it.

Do these rules apply to 50/50 draws and sweepstakes?

Generally yes. A 50/50 is a raffle in Canadian and Australian licensing terms, and sweepstakes are lotteries in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand. Prize competitions decided by genuine skill and free-entry draws sit outside lottery rules in most jurisdictions, with conditions.

Last reviewed August 2026. Each country guide linked above lists its sources and review date; confirm current requirements with the relevant regulator before your draw.

‍