Small society lotteries

Small lotteries (raffles, and '100+ club' style draws) set up by societies raising money not for private gain - i.e. for charitable, sporting, cultural and other similar purposes - are controlled by Schedule 11 of the Gambling Act 2005.

The society that will benefit from the lottery should be registered with us (if their head office is within our district) before any lotteries take place.

A minimum of 20% of raffle proceeds must go to the good cause that the society has been created for. This should always be the first deduction from any proceeds - if too much is deducted for prizes and costs, then the charitable donation may fall under 20% and this would make the lottery unlawful.

Check your society registration number and annual fee due date

If you - as a registered society - need to check your registration number and annual fee due date, please contact our Licensing team. You can email licensingteam@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk or phone 0300 1234000 (Option 6).

We do not issue annual fee reminders. It is the responsibility of society promoters and draw organisers to make sure that annual fees are paid on time. If they are not, the registration will automatically lapse. 

Exemptions under the Gambling Act 2005

Certain exemptions may apply to some types of lottery - such as an incidental non-commercial lottery, a private lottery, or a customer lottery.

For example, a raffle held at a school fete - where all event proceeds will go to purposes that are not for private gain - may be an exempt lottery.

Visit The Gambling Commission's website for more information.

Registration fees

The fee for a new registration is £40, and there is an annual fee of £20 every year afterward.

You can pay these fees via credit or debit card. Please contact our Licensing team to arrange payment - you can email licensingteam@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk or phone 0300 1234000 (Option 6).

Please note: If you do not pay your annual fee, your registration will lapse. You will need to re-register and then the £40 fee will, again, apply.

Registration forms, returns forms and guidance

The Licensing Team has produced the following documents for information and small society lottery registration purposes:

For more detailed information on lottery (including advertising your lottery online), please visit the Gambling Commission's website.