Dr. Sash Neser
At Bolsta we pride ourselves on keeping up with the finer details for running raffles throughout Australia. Unfortunately, there are a different set of raffle rules and regulations for every state and territory, which makes it difficult to know exactly what’s required. The mighty raffle is a trusted powerhouse of fundraising, and it is important to make sure you comply with rules and regulations.
If you live in Queensland and are wondering what the rules and regulations are for running a raffle, you are in the right place. Welcome to our guide on Queensland raffle rules and regulations, where you will learn how to run a raffle in the sunshine state. In this guide, we walk you through everything you need to know to make sure your raffle is legitimate.
Legislation for running a raffle in Queensland
In Queensland the government body that oversees raffle compliance is the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR), which is part of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General. For the legal enthusiasts the key piece of legislation that dictates charitable fundraising and more specifically running raffles in Queensland is the Queensland Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Regulation 1999 and the Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Rule 2010 which are formed from the Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Act 1999. Please note that in these legislation documents, a raffle is referred to as an ‘art union’
Online Resources
If you are not keen to read the legislation regarding Queensland’s raffle rules, I don’t blame you. Thankfully, the OLGR have put together some guidelines so that you don’t have to read through hundreds of pages of exciting government legislation. The OLGR have put together several resources that you can access online to assist you in getter the finer details. They have created guides based on which category of charitable / not-for-profit your raffle is classed as.
Category 1 – your total tickets sales will be less than $2,000. Refer to this guide.
Category 2 – your total tickets sales will be between $2,000 and $50,000. Refer to this guide.
Category 3 – your total tickets sales will be greater than $50,000. Refer to this guide.
If you would like to find out more information regarding general requirements for charitable / not-for-profit fundraising requirements you can head to the web page.
Queensland Raffle Regulations and Requirements
If accessing the legislation and online resources are not your cup of tea, read on. We have prepared a summary of the key points and raffle regulations that you will need to take into consideration.
1. Am I allowed to run a raffle?
Unlike other states and territories that have a blanket rule for which organisations are authorised to conduct charitable gaming activities, Queensland divide the criteria for eligibility based on the same categories mentioned in the previous section.
Category 1 – Raffles with ticket sales of less than $2,000 may be conducted by:
An individual, so long as the individual does not receive any personal financial benefit and 100% of proceeds are returned to ticket buyers in the form of prizes
Any association, regardless of being incorporated or unincorporated, so long as the association has a charitable or not-for-profit purpose
Category 2 – Raffles with ticket sales between $2,000 and $50,000 may only be conducted by ‘eligible association’. To be eligible, your organisation must have been formed for a charitable, community, educational, patriotic, religious, sporting or some other similar community purpose. School P&C’s and political parties are also specifically mentioned as being eligible.
Category 3 – Raffles with ticket sales greater than $50,000 may only be run by an incorporated association and must be an ’eligible association’ as defined above for category 2.
2. Do I require a raffle permit?
In Queensland you will only need to apply for a permit if you are running a category 3 raffle. You can apply for a 1-year license to run category 3 games by filing in this form. The form details all the additional documents you will require and amazingly, you may only submit your application by hard copy using regular postal services or by handing in person. No email allowed.
3. What sort of prizes can I offer when running a raffle?
Specific restrictions regarding what may be offered as raffle prizes include:
- Cash prizes must not be greater than $25,000 for Category 1 or 2 raffles and not more than $100,000 for category 3 raffles
- You may not offer tobacco products, surgical procedures, weapons or ammunition as prizes
- The retail value of prizes that are alcohol products must not exceed $1,000
4. Are there any raffle rules on ticket pricing and sales?
For all categories, the total value of prizes must be at least 20% of the gross proceeds of tickets sales. For example, if you are offering prizes valued at $1,000 you must not sell more than $5,000 worth of tickets. Tickets are allowed to be sold in bundles, e.g. 1 ticket for $5 or 3 tickets for $10, so long as the bundles are offered consistently for all ticket buyers.
5. What needs to be displayed on a raffle ticket?
The rules for displaying information on a ticket are again dependent on the category.
Category 1 – You must at a minimum display a unique number or identifier.
Category 2 – In addition to a unique ticket number, you will also need to display:
- The name of the eligible association
- The closing and drawing dates
- The way in which prize winners will be notified
- Ticket price
- the order in which prizes will be drawn if not drawn in descending order of value
- A description and the retail value of each of the prizes.
Category 3 – In addition to the category 2 requirements above, you will also need to ensure the ticket displays the gaming license number for the eligible association
6. What are the rules for drawing the raffle?
The rules for drawing a raffle in Queensland are the same for all categories. Prizes must be drawn in descending order of value unless an alternate order has been determined and is clearly displayed on the ticket. If a minor prize is to be drawn before a major prize the winning ticket for the minor prize must be placed back in the draw for the major draw.
From June 2021, new rules were put in place for the use of software or computer-generated draws that stipulate the requirement of a random number generator. Details regarding electronic draw requirements can be found here
7. When running my raffle in Queensland, do I need to have a set of Terms & Conditions?
Whilst the need for a set of terms and conditions is not explicitly specified in the regulations, the general rule is that the bigger the raffle, the more you will want to detail how the raffle will work.
Common items that are detailed in the terms and conditions include:
- Who may participate – age or location restrictions
- How the draw will take place
- How winners will be notified
- How unclaimed prizes will be handled
- Privacy policy relating to personal data collected during the raffle
There are other clauses that you may want to add. If you are running a large raffle, the expense of a lawyer to write terms and conditions for you is worth consideration.
8. Who can buy and sell raffle tickets?
The rules in Queensland state that you may not participate in a raffle if you are in any way involved in the drawing of the raffle. Minor’s may not buy a raffle ticket if any of the prizes are an alcohol or gaming product.
9. What records will I need to keep?
You will need to keep a record of the financial results of your raffle for five years. You will need to be able to produce a list of all transactions for the raffle including all ticket sales and associated costs. If the gross proceeds of the raffle are greater than $10,000 then an audit by an approved accountant must be conducted within 3 months of the end of the financial year.
In general, the larger the prize pool, the more detailed your records should be.
Also…
Our disclaimer. The information in this article is current at the time of writing. It is intended as a summary and should not be considered comprehensive. We endeavor to keep the content up to date but can’t guarantee that the powers that be, have not changed the rules in the meantime. Please check with the OLGR if you have any queries regarding your raffle, especially if your raffle is classed as a category 3 gaming activity. We wish you the best of success in your fundraising efforts.
Some additional resources for you
- Learn more about the most common raffle mistakes
- Learn more about the types of raffle prizes that work best
- Learn more about on how to get prizes donated easily
- Download a handy donation request template to help you get donated raffle prizes
- Learn more about different options for raffle ticket pricing
- For more information on terms and conditions, take a look at this article from a legal firm.
