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Small society lotteries

If your organisation, club or society is running a small lottery or prize draw in the area and you are selling tickets in advance, you need to obtain a small society lottery registration from us. 

Definition of a lottery

A lottery is a game which involves: 

  • you paying to take part 
  • one or more prizes are allocated to one or more members 
  • prizes are allocated by a process which relies wholly on chance 

Eligibility

Only societies established for specific reasons can register for lotteries. This includes: 

  • charitable purposes 
  • people to take part in (or support) sport or cultural activities 
  • any other non-commercial purpose other than those for private gain 

Lotteries that only take place at an event, such as a fete, fundraising dinner or fair, are known as ‘incidental lotteries’ and do not need a registration. 

A small society lottery must not have ticket sales worth: 

  • more than £20,000 for a single draw 
  • more than £250,000 in a calendar year 

If you plan to exceed these limits, you will be classed as operating a large lottery. This must be licensed by the Gambling Commission.  

Please note - small society lotteries run from 1 January to 31 December each year. If you apply part way through this period, your first registration will still expire on 31 December. 

Policy

Please read our statement of principles before you apply. 

Fees

To register a small society lottery the fee is £40. 

To renew, the fee of £20 must paid before the expiry of the registration. 

Details of the fees related to this licence can be found in our fees and charges booklet. 

How to apply

You must provide these details as part of your application: 

  • the completed application form 
  • the application fee 
  • a signatories form signed by the lottery promoter and two other society or club members 
  • a declaration that you have read and understood the relevant part of the Gambling Act 2005

After you've applied

We aim to determine applications within 28 days. If you do not hear from us within 28 days, please contact us via email. 

Completed returns

A completed lottery return needs to be submitted within one month after the lottery was drawn. This allows us to assess whether financial limits are being followed and to make sure that any money raised is used for the right intentions. 

You will need to include the following with the return: 

  • signatures of two adult members of your society  
  • dates when the tickets were available for sale or supply 
  • date the draw took place and value of prizes, including donated prizes and any rollover 
  • total proceeds from the lottery  
  • the amount that has been deducted for prizes and the costs incurred in organising the lottery (not including the registration fee) 
  • all donated prizes 
  • any expenses that were incurred in connection with the lottery and deducted from the proceeds