Worthing Borough Council

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Lotteries

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01903 221068

licensing.unit@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Licensing Lotteries

The Licensing Unit of the council's Environmental Services Section is responsible for the licensing of certain types of Lotteries

Section 14 of the Gambling Act 2005

Authorises the conduct of small lotteries (e.g. a sweepstake or draw, etc.) by societies for raising money for charitable, sports and other similar purposes, otherwise than for private gain.  The society on whose behalf the lottery is promoted must first be registered with the appropriate authority, and the lottery must be conducted in a manner complying with the Act.

Lotteries & raffles are strictly regulated in law. 'Incidental non-commercial lotteries', 'private lotteries', 'customer lotteries' and 'free draws & prize competitions'  are the only types to enjoy exemption from registration. All other lotteries and raffles need to be registered either with the local authority or the Gambling Commission.

By far the most common exempt raffle is 'Incidental non-commercial lotteries'. Its exemption from the usual raffle/lottery registration requirement can be made if the following criteria can be met but these are exceptional and usually only in the event of a fete type of event or other 'one-off fun days'. The exemption can only be made where the raffle/lottery can be deemed to be small and ‘incidental’ to the main entertainment on that day.

This is authorised under Part 4 of Schedule 11 of the Gambling Act 2005.

• Tickets must be sold only on that day and on the site of the event.
• There must be no money prizes. 
• The total value of all the prizes put together must not exceed £250

For details regarding the other exempt lotteries please contact the Licensing Unit at Worthing Borough Council or refer to 'Worthing Borough Council's Guide to Small Society Lotteries' below. All other lotteries need to be registered.

Registration of Society

In order to obtain the benefits of the Act, the society (an expression which includes a local branch or section of a society organised on a national or area basis) must be one which is established and conducted wholly or mainly for one or more of the following purposes, that is to say:

• charitable purposes;
• participation in or support of athletic sports or games or cultural activities;
• purposes which, not being described in paragraph (a) or (b) above, are neither purposes of private gain nor purposes of any commercial undertaking.

If a society does not put on sale tickets or chances valued at more than £20,000 for any lottery and it does not put on sale tickets or chances the value of which, when added to those sold or to be sold in all earlier lotteries in the same calendar year, amounts to over £250,000, application for registration should be made to the local authority within whose area the office or the head office of the particular society is situated; forms of application are available from Worthing Borough Council's Licensing Unit, and when completed should be returned to the authority, together with the statutory fee of £40.

If a society wishes to run lotteries which will exceed the amounts mentioned above, then application for registration must be made to the Gambling Commission. 

The cost of holding a lottery registration is £40.00 a year for the first year and £20.00 a year thereafter. Forms and advice are available from the Licensing Unit at Worthing Borough Council.

Lottery related licence forms are available from the Licensing Forms section.

For any queries please contact the Licensing Unit.

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