Large society and local authority lotteries

Part of: Lotteries and society lottery registration

Contents

Large society and local authority lotteries are regulated by the Gambling Commission under the Gambling Act 2005. They cannot be registered locally with Trafford Council.

When a lottery counts as large

A lottery is classed as large if:

  • ticket sales for a single lottery are more than £20,000, or
  • the total proceeds from all lotteries run by the same society in a calendar year exceed £250,000

If your society promotes a large lottery, all future lotteries it runs in the same year and the following three years will also be classed as large.

Licences required

If you run a large society or local authority lottery, you must apply to the Gambling Commission for:

  • a Lottery Operating Licence, and
  • if you sell tickets online, by phone or by post, a Remote Lottery Operating Licence

Local authorities can also run lotteries for the benefit of their communities, but must hold a Gambling Commission licence. The net proceeds of any local authority lottery must be used for purposes that the authority has the power to fund.

How to apply

You can apply for a licence on the Gambling Commission website: Apply for a lottery operating licence (Gambling Commission)

After you apply

The Gambling Commission will assess your application, review your lottery rules and verify your organisation’s eligibility.
You must follow all the conditions attached to your licence once granted.

For queries about large society or local authority lotteries, contact the Gambling Commission directly.