Small Lotteries Licences

Lotteries that are exempt from being registered

An event which is a 'one-off' and is limited to one day. It must also be incidental to some entertainment such as a fete or bazaar, but must comply with certain conditions:-

  1. the whole of the proceeds of the entertainment (the fete of the bazaar, but including the proceeds of the lottery), after deducting expenses of the entertainment (but not the proceeds of the lottery the cost of printing lottery tickets and a sum not exceeding £50 for the purchase of prizes, must be visited for purposes other than private gain;
  2. none of the prizes can be money prizes;
  3. tickets must only be sold during the entertainment and at the premises at which the lottery takes place, and the result of the lottery must be declared during the entertainment;
  4. the lottery, and any other facilities for gaming, for example, a tombola, must not be the main or any reason people come to the entertainment.

This exemption covers the vast majority of raffles or tombolas held at dinners and dances and Christmas Fairs where the prizes are donated.