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.

WarningYou do not need a lottery registration if you plan to sell raffle tickets and hold a prize draw on the day of your event.

Before you apply

Read the requirements below carefully before you submit an application for a registration for a small society lottery. We cannot process your application unless you give us all the information we need.

Check your eligibility for small society status

To constitute a 'small society', for the purposes of running a lottery, you should meet the following requirements:

• Have a defined, non-commercial, purpose. Ensure your society is established for purposes such as charitable activities, sports, athletics, cultural activities, or other non-commercial objectives
• Have a formal governing document which covers how you will run your society: 
  • Your non-commercial purpose
  • Your constitution, or set of rules for how to run the society
  • A management structure and committee, with posts such as a treasurer, chairperson and secretary or clerk.
  • Membership criteria 
• Open a named society bank account, so you can manage funds transparently and ensure proper financial oversight

Register with us

• Register your society with your local licensing authority (usually your local council). You will need to complete an application form and pay a registration fee

• Small society lottery registration is for small organisations or clubs, such as sports clubs or a PTA holding a Christmas raffle. This does not apply to national lotteries or draws, or to lotteries which sell tickets to the general public.

Make sure your lottery is legal

Plan your lottery carefully. You must meet the following conditions from the Gambling Act 2005:

Ticket sales

• You cannot sell lottery tickets to members of the general public on a street or in a public space.
• The total value of tickets for sale in each lottery must not exceed £20,000
• The total value of tickets for sale in each year must not exceed £250,000

Prizes and proceeds

• You must run these lotteries in support of good causes such as charities, not for private or commercial profit.
• At least 20% of the proceeds of each lottery must be applied to a purpose for which the society is conducted
• The maximum prize for each lottery must not exceed £25,000

Transparency

• No person connected with the promotion of the lottery can have been convicted of a relevant offence under the Gambling Act 2005

Collect the information you need

You must provide the following details as part of your application:

• 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

Fees and prices

Small society lottery charges

Fee	Price
Application fee	£40
Annual fee	£20

Licence duration

• We will grant lottery registration for the lifetime of your society or club, unless we state otherwise.

• Your registration will show the issue date.

• To maintain your registration, you will need to renew it each year, by paying the annual fee, before the issue date on your registration. 

• If you fail to pay, your registration will expire, and you'll need to apply for a new one. 

How to apply

We are currently developing an online application form for registration. Meanwhile, you must download and complete PDF application and signatories forms. 

Email us your completed forms at licensing@bathnes.gov.uk

Declare your lottery returns

You must also complete and send a return form to us that details the proceeds of every lottery you run. You must do this within 3 months of the draw. 

Email us your completed forms at licensing@bathnes.gov.uk

Further information

Select a topic below to find out more about small society lottery registrations.

The application process

Once we receive your application, we will contact the Gambling Commission to advise them of your registration.

There is no consultation process for this application.

If we approve your registration, we will send you a confirmation notice, along with the terms and conditions you will need to follow when holding your lottery.

Processing time

We aim to determine applications within 28 days.

Tacit consent does not apply.  If you do not hear from us within 28 days, please email us at: licensing@bathnes.gov.uk

Appeals

If you want to appeal against a registration rejection, please contact your legal advisor or email us at: licensing@bathnes.gov.uk

Conditions and guidance

We will provide you with guidance on the legal requirements you need to follow when we approve your registration.

Revoking a permit

If you fail to pay the annual fee, we can cancel your registration.

Relevant legislation

Gambling Act 2005

We have made the information on these web pages as comprehensive as possible.  However, in attempting to simplify the law, certain requirements have been omitted. Full details of what you must do are in the relevant legislation.

Laws can and do change. We must advise that only the Courts can give an authoritative opinion on statute law.