Gambling, gaming and lotteries
In this section
Small society lotteries
If you intend to sell printed raffle tickets before the day of the prize draw, you must register as a 'small society lottery'.
Small society lotteries are lotteries held to raise funds for a non-commercial society. A society is non-commercial if it is run for:
- Charitable purposes
- To enable participation in, or support, sport, athletics or cultural activities
- Any other non-commercial purpose other than that of private gain
The total value of tickets for sale in a single lottery cannot exceed £20,000 and the aggregate value of tickets on sale in a calendar year cannot exceed £250,000. Anything above this would be a large society lottery and you would need a licence from the Gambling Commission.
Every society registered with us must submit a returns form following each draw.
Legislation and Guidance
- Horsham District Council Application - Small Society Lottery Guidance
- Legislation Gambling Act 2005
- Gambling Commission Guidance
Register your small society lottery
Small lottery registrations are valid for a period of one year
Sign in to or sign up to our citizen portal and complete the "Lotter Licence" application (this can be found in the "request new licence" section of the portal). You should submit the application at least one month before your lottery is due to take place to ensure we have sufficient time to process your application.
The completed application form should be accompanied by the appropriate fee. This can be paid online OR by calling 01403 215525 / 01403 215473.
Occasion on which a fee is payable | Fee |
Grant (application) | £40 |
Annual fee (renewal) | £20 |
Renewing a Registration
If you wish to maintain your registration, you should ensure that you submit your renewal application with the prescribed fee prior to expiry of your current registration. You should submit this in good time before expiration to ensure we have sufficient time to process.
Please note: We do not send out reminders to renew. The onus is on the holder of the registration to ensure they renew.
Lottery Returns
You must tell us how much each lottery raised within three months following each draw, please use the returns form to complete this process. Please email completed return forms the Licensing Team via licensing@horsham.gov.uk
Sign up for the Horsham District Community Lottery
Did you know we have our own Community Lottery?
It's a great fundraising solution for local not-for-profit organisations as you do not need a Small Society Lottery Licence, saving you precious admin time and fees.
If you are a local not-for-profit organisation you can apply for a website for free! You get promotions with marketing materials throughout the year to help you shout about your cause plus supporters can win cash prizes up to the £25k jackpot every week.
For every £1 ticket sold, 60p goes to good causes – 50p is given to the group nominated by the ticket buyer and 10p to support other good causes within the Horsham District through a fund that will be administered by the council. 20p goes towards prizes and the remaining 20p is for VAT and administration of the lottery.
Gambling Commission advice and guidance
Find more information, advice and guidance, including tips for organising a lottery, on the Gambling Commission’s small society lottery page.
For further information on whether your fund raising raffle/lottery needs registration please call the Licensing Department on 01403 215488 or visit the Gambling Commission website.