Lotteries
Information about the types of lottery permitted under the Gambling Act 2005
The Act creates two types of lottery - simple and complex.
Simple Lottery. A lottery is a simple lottery if:
- persons have to pay to participate,
- prizes are allocated to one or more members of a class, and
- the prizes are allocated wholly by chance.
Complex Lottery. A lottery is a complex lottery if:
- persons have to pay to participate,
- prizes are allocated to one or more members of a class,
- the prizes are allocated by a series of processes, and
- the first of the processes relies wholly on chance.
Most lotteries organised by local societies and organisations will be simple lotteries.
We will aim to issue your registration within 4 working days of receipt of a valid application.
You can access further advice on Lotteries from the Gambling Commission by clicking on 'Lottery FAQs' under Off Site Links.
- What is the relevant legislation?
- What are the different categories of lottery provided for by the Act?
- How do I know if I need to register my society?
- How do I register?
- Do I need to register a raffle?
- What about printing & selling tickets?
- Are there any limits on society lotteries?
- Do I have to submit an account after each lottery?
- Can an application be turned down?
- What about free draws and prize competitions?
- Who can I contact for more information?
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What is the relevant legislation?Lotteries are regulated under the Gambling Act 2005 which came into effect on 1st September 2007. This repealed the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976.
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What are the different categories of lottery provided for by the Act?The Act contains two categories of lottery - licensed lotteries and exempt lotteries.
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How do I know if I need to register my society?The new Act applies the same criteria as the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976.
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How do I register?There is a simple registration process. You will need to complete an application form (which can be downloaded from this page) and return it to the Council with the statutory registration fee.
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Do I need to register a raffle?Draws or 'raffles' are generally exempt from any form of registration provided they are held as 'incidental' to a non-commercial event such as a village fete or a jumble sale.
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What about printing & selling tickets?There are a number of legal requirements you must comply with when having tickets printed.
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Are there any limits on society lotteries?Yes. The Act sets out a number of important restrictions which are listed below.
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Do I have to submit an account after each lottery?Yes. You are required by law to submit a return to the local authority after each lottery setting out how the proceeds have been spent.
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Can an application be turned down?Yes. In certain circumstances, the local authority may refuse an application to register a society lottery.
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What about free draws and prize competitions?Free draws are exempt from registration as no fee is paid to participate in the draw. Prize competitions are also exempt provided that they rely at least in part on the exercise of skill, judgement or knowledge by the participants. In other words, prizes are not allocated wholly by chance.
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Who can I contact for more information?Further information and advice on the law relating to lotteries is available from the Gambling Commission and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. (Click on the links on the right.) Or you can contact Angela Hocking in the Licensing Team on 01237-428917..
iCM