Small society lotteries
Small society lotteries are promoted for the benefit of a non-commercial society, such as a charity, sports club, cultural group or other organisation that operates for a community purpose rather than private gain.
They are regulated under the Gambling Act 2005 and must be registered with Trafford Council if the society’s principal office is in the borough.
When your lottery counts as a small society lottery
Your lottery qualifies as a small society lottery if:
- ticket sales for a single lottery are £20,000 or less, and
- the total proceeds from all lotteries run by your society in a calendar year are £250,000 or less
If your proceeds exceed these limits, your lottery will be classed as a large society lottery and must be licensed by the Gambling Commission instead.
Who can register
To qualify, your society must be established and conducted for at least one of these purposes:
- charitable purposes
- enabling participation in, or supporting, sport, athletics or cultural activities
- any other non-commercial purpose other than private gain
- Societies that do not meet these criteria cannot be registered.
How to register
You can apply to register your society with Trafford Council. If your application is accepted, we will issue a registration certificate allowing you to run small society lotteries.
Download the Small Society Lottery Application form
If your principal office is not in Trafford, we will inform you and may refer your application to the correct local authority.
Ticket rules
Every ticket must show:
- the name of the society
- the price of the ticket
- the name and address of the promoter (or external lottery manager, if used)
- the date of the draw or how the date will be determined
- confirmation that the society is registered with Trafford Council
All tickets must be the same price and paid for before entry to the draw. There is no maximum ticket price.
Money limits and returns
- At least 20% of ticket proceeds must go directly to the society’s purpose.
- Up to 80% may be used for prizes and expenses.
- The maximum prize for a single lottery is £25,000.
- Rollovers are allowed, but the maximum prize cannot exceed £25,000.
You must send a financial return to Trafford Council within three months of each draw, signed by two members of the society’s governing body.
Age limit
Participants must be 16 or over to buy a ticket in a small society lottery.
Remote sales
If your society sells tickets online, by post, or by phone, you do not need a separate remote gambling licence.
Statement of Gambling Principles
Trafford Council assesses applications and returns in line with its Statement of Gambling Principles, which sets out how we apply the licensing objectives locally.
Data protection and fraud prevention
Trafford Council may use information provided in connection with lottery registration to prevent and detect fraud.
Data may be shared with other public bodies for these purposes.