Small Society Lottery Factsheet

What is a Small Society Lottery?

A small society lottery has a maximum limit of £20,000 in ticket sales in a single draw or £250,000 in a calendar year and is registered with a Local Authority.

Some lotteries do not require permission - a brief explanation of these is:

  • Private society lotteries - any group or society except those set up for gambling. The proceeds of the lottery must go to the purposes of the society itself. Tickets may only be sold to members or guests on the premises.
  • Work lotteries - These can only be run and played by colleagues at a particular place of work. The lottery cannot make a profit.
  • Residents' lotteries - These can only be run and played by people living at a particular address. The lottery cannot make a profit.
  • Customer lotteries - These can only be run by a business, at its own premises, and for its own customers. No prize can be more than £50.00 in value and the lottery cannot make a profit. The draw cannot take place within 7 days of a previous draw in the lottery or another customer lottery promoted on the premises.
  • Incidental non-commercial lotteries - These are held at non-commercial events such as school fêtes etc. All the ticket sales and the draw must take place during the main event, which may last more than a single day. Prizes cannot total more than £500.