In short
Running a raffle means setting a target, getting the right permit or licence before you sell, gathering prizes, selling tickets and holding a public, verifiable draw. Allow around eight weeks: the permit comes first, and nothing is sold before it.
This guide gives practical pointers; it does not replace the law or the conditions of your permit or licence. The rules quoted come from the sources at the foot of the page, on the date shown.
The eight steps
- Set the target. What the raffle pays for (a club bus, school equipment, a cause), the net amount you need and the date of the draw.
- Get the right permit or licence. Who promotes the raffle, which permit or licence, from whom, and what it allows. Before any sale — details below.
- Work out the ticket price and how many tickets. Start from the target and the number of realistic buyers; see How much to charge for raffle tickets.
- Gather the prizes. Local businesses, sponsors, donations: one headline prize that makes people buy, then variety; see Raffle prize ideas.
- Organise the selling. Ticket books for sellers, points of sale, taking the money: who sells, who collects, who reconciles. Sell only in the ways your permit or licence allows.
- Promote the raffle. A poster with the prize list and the draw date, a message to families or members, social media, reminders before sales close.
- Hold the draw. Ticket list closed, randomness nobody controls, drawn in public; see How to run a fair raffle draw.
- Publish the results and hand over the prizes. Announce the winners, organise prize collection, close the accounts and thank sponsors and sellers.
A planning calendar
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks before | Target, draw date, team; permit or licence application made |
| 6 weeks before | First prizes confirmed; ticket price and number of tickets set |
| 4 weeks before | Permit or licence in hand; tickets or books ready; poster and prize list |
| 4 weeks to 1 day before | Selling; a weekly check of tickets sold and money collected; reminders |
| Draw day | Sales closed, draw held in public, winners announced |
| Up to 2 weeks after | Prizes handed over, accounts closed, thank-yous, notes for next year |
This calendar is a guide, not a rule: a small school raffle can be ready in a month; a gala raffle needs longer.
Permits and licences in Ireland
Raffles for charitable or philanthropic purposes run under the Gaming and Lotteries Acts, as amended in 2019. According to the law firm Ogier's summary of the 2019 amendment:
| Total prizes | What you need | Who issues it |
|---|---|---|
| Up to €5,000 | A lottery permit; a ticket may not cost more than €10 | The Garda Superintendent of your district |
| Up to €30,000 a week, or €360,000 for a once-a-year lottery | A lottery licence | The District Court |
The permit or licence is held by the organiser — your club, school or charity — never by the ticketing platform. A newer regime under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is overseen by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI): check with the GRAI whether it already applies to your raffle.
Selling well
- One seller, one book: each volunteer, pupil or player knows what they sold and returns the money with the stubs.
- A weekly check: tickets sold, money in, books not yet returned. That is where you catch up — not the night before.
- The prize list on show: people buy a prize they want, not a ticket.
- One closing date, everywhere: sales pick up in the last days.
Frequently asked questions
Around eight weeks. The permit or licence comes first and no ticket is sold before it; prizes and tickets are prepared while the application is processed.
In practice the parents' association or another body linked to the school promotes the raffle and applies for the permit, because it is the body that holds the money and answers for the raffle.
Under the 2019 rules, a lottery with prizes up to €5,000 needs a lottery permit from the Garda Superintendent of your district, with tickets at no more than €10. Larger lotteries need a District Court licence. Check the current position with the Gardaí or the GRAI before you sell.
The organiser. The club, school or charity promoting the raffle holds the permit or licence; a ticketing platform only provides the tools.
In short
- A target, a date, a team: everything starts there.
- The permit or licence comes before the first sale.
- Ticket price, number of tickets and prizes are worked out from the target.
- A public, verifiable draw and published results.
How GoTombola helps
GoTombola brings these steps together: the campaign and its permit document, online sales and paper ticket books with your sellers, payments straight to your own account, sales tracking and a certified draw that anyone can verify.
Sources
- Ogier — Licences and permits under Ireland's Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019 (6 May 2021): permit up to €5,000 in prizes and €10 a ticket; District Court licence up to €30,000 a week or €360,000 once a year — checked on 10 November 2026
- Irish Statute Book — Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956, section 27 (permits issued by a Garda Superintendent) — checked on 10 November 2026