Licence

Small Society Lottery Registration

Summary

A small society lottery is a draw when tickets are sold in advance with the draw made on a set date e.g. if a sports club/PTA has a Christmas draw and sells tickets in advance.

 

These lotteries must only be run in support of good causes, such as charity fundraising, and cannot be run for private or commercial gain.

If your organisation (or ‘society’) is planning a lottery in the area, you must by law obtain a Confirmation of Registration from Bath & North East Somerset Council.  This does not apply to lotteries or draws that are organised nationally, or to those which do not sell tickets to the general public (e.g. private society lotteries).

 

Raffles e.g. those held at discos with the tickets sold at the event and the draw made on the same day do not require to be registered. 

Fee
  • £40 New Registration
  • £20 Annual Fee

 You may pay in person or over the phone (01225 477531) using a credit or debit card. 

Application Form 

An online application form is currently being developed.  The Government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has supplied some of the following application forms:

Other Forms

The application form should be sent to us by post or email to the address on the left under "Contact Us".

Please contact Licensing Services if you would like us to send you any of these forms.

Eligibility Criteria 
  • 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.
  • The maximum prize for each lottery must not exceed £25,000.
  • At least 20% of the proceeds of each lottery must be applied to a purpose for which the society is conducted.
  • No person connected with the promotion of the lottery can have been convicted of a relevant offence under the Act.
  • A return detailing the proceeds of each lottery held must be sent by the promoter to Licensing Services within three months of the date on which the draw takes place.

Application Process 

Applications must be in writing (including by electronic means) and must include:

  • an application form;
  • a signatories form (which must be signed by the lottery promoter and two other signatories for the society);
  • a declaration that the applicant has read and understood Part 4 Schedule 11 of the Gambling Act 2005;
  • the fee.

The application form should be sent to us by post or email to the address on the left under "Contact Us".

Consultation 

There is no consultation process, but on receipt of a valid application we will contact the Gambling Commission to advise them of your registration.

Evaluation

If your application is approved, your society will be registered with us and we will send you a Confirmation of Registration.

There is no statutory period for determining applications.

Tacit Consent 

The Gambling Act 2005 is not subject to the EU Services Directive and tacit consent does not apply.

Right of Appeal 

Please contact your legal advisor or Licensing Services.

Conditions 

There are no conditions as such, but it is good practice to familiarise yourself with Part 4 Schedule 11 of the Gambling Act 2005.

The promoter must send a return detailing the proceeds of each lottery held to Licensing Services within three months of the date on which the draw takes place.

Section 34 of the Gambling Commission’s Guidance states:
"With regards to where small society lottery tickets may be sold, the Commission recommends that licensing authorities should apply the following criteria to all small society lottery operators:
• tickets should not be sold in a street, where street includes any bridge, road, lane, footway, subway, square, court or passage (including passages through enclosed premises such as shopping malls)."

Validity/Renewals 

Unless a shorter period is specifically stated, all registrations will be granted for the life of the society.  An annual fee is payable every year to maintain the registration. 

Guidance 

There are legal regulations for carrying out lotteries.  The explanatory notes sent with the application forms explain these regulations, but if you have further enquiries you should seek independent legal advice.

You must send us a financial return (‘Return by Promoter’) showing how much money was collected and how much of this went to the charity.  The Council must have received your return by the end of the third month after the collection.  Your return must be signed by the lottery promoter, and also by two authorised members of your society.  A blank return will be sent to you with your confirmation of registration.

The Council's Statement of Principles outlines the principles it proposes to apply when exercising its functions under the Act.

Please contact either the Gambling Commission or B&NES Licensing Services for further guidance.

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.  Information was accurate when produced, but may have changed since.  We must advise that only the Courts can give an authoritative opinion on statute law.

Trade Associations 

None

Customer Complaints 

If you wish to make a complaint please complete the online submission form.

Further Information 

For details of small lotteries registered in Bath & North East Somerset please see the Licensing Database webpage.

For further information and guidance please phone Licensing Services on 01225 477531 or email licensing@bathnes.gov.uk.

Additional contact details.

 

 

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